Abstract
We analyze phonological aspects of Gallicisms in Czech on a descriptive basis, using a recently proposed paradigm of adaptation principles. In a sample of 1,132 Gallicisms, the strongest principle identified is phonological approximation (substitution of foreign phonological units with the closest domestic ones), followed by spelling pronunciation (the application of Czech grapheme-to-phoneme conversion rules); these two principles are mutually combinable.
A significant number of entries are influenced by a third language (German or Latin) in their phonological adaptation. The core rules of phonological approximation are fairly "mechanical," but for some phonemes or features (especially vowel length), the projection is rather complex.
Orthographically non-adapted Gallicisms and proper names of French origin exhibit greater "phonological blurriness" in the recipient language, and are thus more exposed to secondary adaptation processes, including the influence of English.