Definitions of Suffixed Loanwords in Dictionaries of Foreign Words in Slovak.

This article examines the historical development of the lexicographic representation of suffixed loanwords in Slovak dictionaries of foreign words over the past century. Focusing on loanwords with three non-native suffixes—-ácia (‘-ation’), -izmus (‘-ism’), and -ita (‘-ity’)—which compete with native Slovak suffixes (-nie, -stvo, and -osť, respectively), the study analyzes five key Slovak dictionaries published between 1939 and 2005. It identifies four types of dictionary definitions used for these loanwords, ranging from concise descriptive phrases to entries including native suffix variants as synonyms or separate entries. The findings reveal a shift over time from definitions relying heavily on native equivalents toward more descriptive explanations and the recognition of native-suffixed variants as distinct lexical items, reflecting the gradual integration and semantic differentiation of loanwords in Slovak.