Morphosyntactic Adaptation and Functional Use of English Loanwords in Gen Z Online Service Conversations

Margaret Stevani; Murad Sawalmeh; Happy Kusuma Wardani

doi:10.19105/ojbs.v20i1.21645

Margaret Stevani Department of English Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Pembinaan Masyarakat Indonesia, Medan 20214 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3293-7784
Murad Sawalmeh Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts and Applied Sciences, Dhofar University, Salalah 2509 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6336-1052
Happy Kusuma Wardani Department of English Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Qomaruddin Gresik, Gresik 61152 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3447-3039

https://doi.org/10.19105/ojbs.v20i1.21645

Abstract views: 42 ,

PDF downloads: 51

Keywords: digital discourse, English loanwords, functional use, Gen Z language, Morphosyntactic adaptation

Abstract

The increased prevalence of English in daily Indonesian communication was attributed to the rise of digital commerce and social media. Unlike previous research on code-mixing and borrowing, few studies have investigated how English words were modified in online service chats. This paper investigated how Indonesian Gen Z users transformed English words morphosyntactically in their conversations. It analyzed 124 chat interactions collected from Shopee, Tokopedia, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Using qualitative analysis, the study identified recurring morphosyntactic processes, including clipping, affixation, permutation, and hybrid command formation. Examples included "notif” (from notification), “orderan” (order + -an), “di-scan” (scan with the Indonesian passive prefix di-), and “auto-panik” (automatically panic). These forms showed that English words were restructured to fit Indonesian linguistic patterns, becoming integrated into everyday digital communication rather than remaining isolated loanwords. Interview data revealed that users employed these forms to make communication more efficient, distinctive, humorous, and socially engaging. The findings confirmed that Indonesian youth actively modified English words to support efficient, creative, humorous, and interactive communication. These usage patterns contributed to ongoing changes in Indonesian digital communication.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Margaret Stevani, Department of English Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Pembinaan Masyarakat Indonesia, Medan 20214

MARGARET STEVANI is an English Education lecturer at Universitas Pembinaan Masyarakat Indonesia (UPMI), Medan, Indonesia. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in English Education from Universitas Katolik Santo Thomas, Sumatera Utara, in 2017, and obtained her Master’s degree in English Education at Universitas HKBP Nommensen Medan in 2020. Her academic and research interests concentrate on four main areas: English for Specific Purposes (ESP), Digital culture learning, and Applied linguistics in technology-mediated contexts.

Murad Sawalmeh, Department of English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts and Applied Sciences, Dhofar University, Salalah 2509

MURAD SAWALMEH is an Assistant Professor of Linguistics at the Department of Language and Translation, Dhofar University, Salalah, Oman, where he has taught since 2017. He earned his Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Huddersfield, UK, in 2016, following more than eight years of experience in teaching English and linguistics-related courses. His scholarly work spans sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, translation studies, and applied linguistics.

Happy Kusuma Wardani, Department of English Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Qomaruddin Gresik, Gresik 61152

HAPPY KUSUMA WARDANI is an English Education Lecturer at Universitas Qomaruddin Gresik, Indonesia. She completed her Master’s degree in English Education at Universitas Negeri Malang in 2011, specializing in English language teaching. Her professional interests include English pedagogy and intercultural studies, with a focus on diverse learners.

References

Aliyeva, F. (2025). How Language Contact Shaped the Vocabulary of Modern English. Global Spectrum of Research and Humanities, 2(3), 102–112. https://doi.org/10.69760/gsrh.0203025012

Allaway, E., Bhagavatula, C., Hwang, J. D., McKeown, K., & Leslie, S. J. (2024). Exceptions, Instantiations, and Overgeneralization: Insights Into How Language Models Process Generics. Computational Linguistics, 50(4), 1211–1275. https://doi.org/10.1162/coli_a_00530

Alzain, M. (2024). Code-Switching in Translation: Linguistic Analysis of Multilingual Texts and Their Translations. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 7(10), 119–134. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2024.7.10.12

Asungu, K., Ondondo, E. A., & Ochieng, R. (2024). Morphological Nativization of English Loanwords in Olunyole: A Constraints-Based Analysis. Journal of Educational Research in Developing Areas, 5(2), 194–208. https://doi.org/10.47434/JEREDA.5.2.2024.194

Augustin, R. S., & Emynorane, R. H. (2025). Historical and Cultural Influences on Word Formation in Indonesian and Malagasy. International Journal of Research and Community Empowerment, 3(1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.58706/ijorce.v3n1.p8-15

Dragusin, E. D. (2024). The Clipped Language Revolution: Exploring Clipping in Contemporary Social Media English. Intertext, (1), 32–44. https://doi.org/10.54481/intertext.2024.1.03

Ezuruike, I. P., & Ibileye, G. (2025). Lexical Innovation: A Morphosemantic Study of Gen-Z Neologisms. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(1), 4551–4563. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.9010349

Garcia, G. A. C., Lugmana, X. A. S., & Viera, V. R. T. (2025). Morphosyntactic Interference in EFL Written Compositions. Polo del Conocimiento, 10(2), 383–406. https://doi.org/10.23857/pc.v10i2.8880

Hober, N. (2024). Metalinguistic Awareness as a Factor in Contact-Induced Language Change. Linguistics Vanguard, 10(2), 159–167. https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2023-0084

Hoon, K. D. (2025). Development of Indonesian Language in Vocabulary Absorption. JELL (Journal of English Language and Literature) STIBA-IEC Jakarta, 10(01), 177–186. https://doi.org/10.37110/jell.v10i01.278

Huang, X., Han, Y., Ran, Y., Yang, Y., & Yang, Y. (2024). The Rise of Cross-Language Internet Memes: A Social Semiotic Analysis. Signs and Society, 12(2), 125–141. https://doi.org/10.1086/729125

Jiang, L. (2026). Multilingual Youths’ Digital Activism Through Multimodal Composing in the Post-Pandemic Era. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 47(1), 8–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/01434632.2023.2181353

Jones, M. C. (2025). A PAT on the back?: “Invisible” Borrowing in Guernesiais. Journal of French Language Studies, 35(e11), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959269525100045

Kuszel, B. (2025). Global Influence and Local Adaptation: The Integration of English in Chinese Internet Slang. International Journal of Education and Humanities, 5(3), 583–589. https://doi.org/10.58557/(ijeh).v5i3.348

Masniati, A., Alwiyah, T., Rumbia, A., Henaulu, A., & Badri, A. R. (2026). Code-Switching and Mixed Morphology in Multilingual Social Media: A Thematic NVivo Analysis. Inspiring: English Education Journal, 9(1), 170–187. https://doi.org/10.35905/inspiring.v9i1.16500

Memmedova, G. (2026). Linguistic Kinship and Lexical Divergence: German-English Shared Vocabulary, Borrowing Patterns, and the Mechanisms of Cross-Linguistic Transfer. EuroGlobal: Journal of Linguistics and Language Education, 3(2), 112–122. https://doi.org/10.69760/egjlle.2602015

Mukti, M. A. P., & Fauzi, E. M. (2025). Lexical Evolution in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: A Comparative Literature Study of English and Indonesian. Humanities & Language: International Journal of Linguistics, Humanities, and Education, 2(2), 98–104. https://doi.org/10.32734/wt6fcr57

Nugraha, D. S. (2024). Analyzing the Derivational Verb of Indonesian Based on the Derivational Morphology. South Asian Research Journal of Arts, Language and Literature, 6(01), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.36346/sarjall.2024.v06i01.001

Nugraha, D. S. (2024). Some Notes on Indonesian Word Formation: A Study Based on the Derivational Morphology Approach. South Asian Research Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 6(01), 20–31. https://doi.org/10.36346/sarjhss.2024.v06i01.004

Nusrat, M., Shereen, A., Bhanbhro, S., & Abbas, H. (2025). Code-Switching in Multilingual Digital Texts: Automated Detection and Linguistic Patterning Through AI-Based Corpus Analysis. Journal of Applied Linguistics and TESOL (JALT), 8(3), 1943–1961. https://doi.org/10.63878/jalt1197

Olguin, M. J., & Gries, S. T. (2025). Similative-Pretence Constructions in Language Contact Situations: A Usage-Based Construction Grammar Perspective. Cognitive Linguistic Studies, 12(2), 292–321. https://doi.org/10.1075/cogls.25015.olg

Pak, R., & Orazakynkyzy, F. (2025). Pragmatic Functions of Loanwords in Russian and Chinese. Journal of Oriental Studies, 113(2), 18–26. https://doi.org/10.26577/JOS202511322

Perez-Lantada, C. (2025). Identity Construction in Digital Communication for Public Engagement in Science. Discourse Studies, 27(1), 128–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614456241255267

Puspita, V. G., & Ardianto, A. (2024). Code-Switching and Slang: An Analysis of Language Dynamics in the Everyday Lives of Generation Z. Linguistics Initiative, 4(1), 76–87. https://doi.org/10.53696/27753719.41127

Puspitasari, P., Haryanti, R. P., & Faridi, A. (2024). The Existence of Borrowing Words in Tourism Articles on the Jawa Pos Online Website in May 2024. English Education Journal, 14(2), 305–314. https://doi.org/10.15294/mf7ny058

Rayo, W., Barrita, A. M., Cabrera Martinez, L., & Carbajal, I. (2024). The Complexity in Bilingual Code-Switching Research: A Systematic Review. Languages, 9(6), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.3390/languages9060217

Raza, R. M. A., & Siddique, M. (2026). Discursive Representation of Queer and Transgender Identities in Ideologically Polarized Political Discourse on Twitter and Online Ideology: A Corpus-Based Study. Social Science Review Archives, 4(1), 793–807. https://doi.org/10.70670/sra.v4i1.1594

Reyes, P. A., Casaba, M. G., Tubigon, J., Duron, P. K., Senoron, R. E., Naparan, G. B., & Aris, A. P. (2026). Morphological Shifts in Digital Communication: A Comparative Analysis of Generation Z and Alpha Content Creators. International Journal of Language and Literary Studies, 8(3), 155–166. https://doi.org/10.36892/ijlls.v8i3.2597

Septianingtias, V., Wahya, Nur, T., & Ariyani, F. (2024). Lexical Variation in the Lampung Language, Indonesia. Cogent Arts & Humanities, 11(1), 2309740. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311983.2024.2309740

Shukurlu, S. (2025). The Role of Borrowed Words in the Development of the English Language. Path of Science, 11(4), 4021–4027. https://doi.org/10.22178/pos.116-24

Situmorang, N. I. F., Anggraini, N., Qonitah, M., Arini, D. W., Az-Zahra, Z., Erli, I. S., & Pebriana, P. H. (2025). The Morphological Transformation of Indonesian: Impacts of Social Media and Globalization. TOFEDU: The Future of Education Journal, 4(5), 1506–1513. https://doi.org/10.61445/tofedu.v4i6.559

Stamenkov, G. (2023). Recommendations for Improving Research Quality: Relationships Among Constructs, Verbs in Hypotheses, Theoretical Perspectives, and Triangulation. Quality & Quantity, 57(3), 2923–2946. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-022-01461-2

Sugiarto, B. R., & Manara, C. (2026). Digital Multilingual Identity: Insights From Indonesian Multilingual EFL Students’ Identity Construction on Instagram. International Journal of Multilingualism, 23(1), 1021–1042. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790718.2025.2508867

Sugiharto, S. K. B., Nurhayani, I., & Khasanah, I. (2025). ‘Social Gap’ on Chinese Loanwords Motivation in KBBI: A Response to Zenner et al. (2019). Jurnal Syntax Transformation, 6(7), 224–240. https://doi.org/10.46799/jst.v6i7.1093

Sukendra, I. (2024). Indonesian Fans' Translanguaging Negotiation Strategies in X Context. Lingua Cultura, 18(2), 165–176. https://doi.org/10.21512/lc.v18i2.12166

Treffers-Daller, J. (2025). The Simple View of Borrowing and Code-Switching. International Journal of Bilingualism, 29(2), 347–370. https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069231168535

Umpornpun, A., & Mongkolhutthi, P. (2022). Conversational Code-Switching Among Thai Teenage Multilingual Gamers: A Sequential Analysis. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 12(11), 2422–2428. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1211.24

Wahyuningsih, A. T. (2024). Code-Mixing and Its Impact on Followers’ Purchase Intention in Somethinc’s Instagram Captions. Prosodi, 18(2), 200–217. https://doi.org/10.21107/prosodi.v18i2.27050

Yousif, A. S. A. (2025). Multilingualism in the Digital Age: Code-Switching and Translanguaging Online. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 15(4), 1217–1225. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1504.20