"Calque" Pronounce,Meaning And Examples

"Calque" Meaning

A calque is a word or phrase that is borrowed from another language and translated into the native language, often phrase-by-phrase, without changing the original meaning. It is a word-for-word translation, unlike loanwords which can undergo changes in meaning or form when borrowed into the new language.

"Calque" Examples

Here are 5 usage examples of the word "calque":

Example 1: Etymology

A calque is a borrowing in which a word or phrase is translated literally, word for word, from one language to another, often resulting in a nonsensical or awkward-sounding term. The word "smog" is a calque of the English phrase "smoke + fog".

Example 2: Linguistics

In linguistics, a calque is a loanword that is formed by translating the meaning of a word or phrase from one language into another, often resulting in a neologism. The word "container" is a calque of the French phrase "contenant".

Example 3: Translation

During the translation process, translators may use calques to convey the original meaning of a text, even if the resulting term sounds unnatural in the target language. In this example, the word "lebensraum" is a calque of the German phrase, which was used to justify aggressive expansion during World War II.

Example 4: Language Learning

For language learners, understanding calques can be helpful in deciphering unfamiliar vocabulary and phrases. For instance, the word "kommunikation" is a calque of the German phrase "com- + mut- + auch", which translates to "communication" in English.

Example 5: Word Origins

The word " taxi" is a calque of the German phrase "taxameterwagen", which was coined by German inventors Walter Bermpohl and Adolf Klose in the late 19th century.