CULTURAL ASSIMILATION BETWEEN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND IMMIGRANTS: A CASE OF PERSONAL NAMING PRACTICE

Abstract

The political situation in the Arab World led many people to immigrate overseas. Jordan, being at the heart of the Middle East with its political and economic stability has been regarded as a preferred destination for many immigrants. Naturally, cultural and linguistic interactionsare assumed to emerge for the purposes of adaptation and integration. The apparent initial medium of contact is performed through personal names at various stages of communication. These names are not only linguistics entities, but also a form of socio-cultural key identification that are closely linked to peoples’ past, present, and future. The researcher utilized a mixed-method design of a close-ended questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. The findings indicated that Jordanians have primarily positive attitudes towards socio-cultural integration and coexistence with other foreign cultures. The bestowing of a foreign personal name is strongly endeavored as a sign of cultural assimilation, and their semantic content is widely welcomed to maintain these names in their full form.