Abstract
This study examines the orthographic representation of Urhobo-English loanwords in the literature. Following Hosken (2003), one of the hardest issues any orthography has to deal with is how to spell words that are imported from another language: should the words keep their original spelling, or should they be spelled according to how they sound when spoken in the target language? This issue is not unconnected with the fact that loanwords are often modified, especially when they do not conform to the phonology of the borrowing language. Additionally, sounds that are similar in both source and target languages may be represented with different graphemes in the two languages. This study, therefore, seeks to examine the various modifications that loanwords undergo in Urhobo and how these can be best represented in the orthography, as well as how similar sounds that are represented by different graphemes are handled in the borrowing language. The data employed in the study were extracted from religious and literacy materials in Urhobo and evaluated by the researcher, relying on native speaker competence. The data analysis focused on the phonological nuances of loanwords, which have implications for Urhobo orthography, guided by the principle of consistency. The study made a case for the representation of the adapted forms in Urhobo. This is to ensure fluency, word recognition, and disambiguation in the orthographic reading of these words.
