Calque

In Linguistics , a calque ( Pronounced ) or '''loan translation''' is a Word or Phrase borrowed from another Language by Literal , "word-for-word" ( Latin : "''verbum pro verbo''") or root-for-root translation.

The common English phrase " Flea Market " is a phrase calque that literally translates the French "''marché aux puces''" {Link without Title}

Going in the other direction, from English to French, provides an example of how a Compound Word may be calqued by first breaking it down into its component Root s. The French "''gratte-ciel''" is a word-coinage inspired by the model of the English " Skyscraper " — "''gratter''" literally translates "scrape", and "''ciel''" translates "sky".

Used as a Verb , "to ''calque''" means to Loan-translate from another language so as to create a new Lexeme in the Target Language .

"''Calque''" itself is a " is itself a calque of the German "''Lehnübersetzung''". {Link without Title}

ENGLISH

From Chinese

English '' military during Korean War .

English ''long time no see'' calques or (via Pidgin English ) {Link without Title}

English ''look-see'' calques or (via Pidgin English )

English '' Lose Face '' calques {Link without Title}

English '' Paper Tiger '' calques {Link without Title}

From French

English '' Adam's Apple '' calques French ''pomme d'Adam'' {Link without Title}

English '' Bushmeat '' calques French ''viande de brousse''

English ''by heart'' (or ''off by heart'') calques French ''par cœur''

English '' Governor-General '' calques French ''Gouverneur Général''

English '' Free Verse '' calques French '' Vers Libre '' {Link without Title}

English ''old guard'' calques French '' Vieille Garde '' (the Imperial Guard of Napoleon I ) {Link without Title}

English '' Flea Market '' calques French ''marché aux puces'' {Link without Title}

English ''in his/her prime'' (in the early days) calques French ''dans sa primeur''

English '' Marriage Of Convenience '' calques French ''mariage de convenance'' {Link without Title}

English '' New Wave '' (artistic period) calques French '' Nouvelle Vague '' {Link without Title}

English '' Rhinestone '' calques French ''caillou du Rhin'' "Rhine pebble" {Link without Title}

English ''that goes without saying'' calques French ''cela va sans dire''

Teuto-Dutch

English '' Clinker '' calques either Dutch '' Klinkaerd '' or German '' Klinkärt '' {Link without Title}

English '' Underwrite '' calques either Dutch ''subscribere'' or German ''unterschrift'' {Link without Title}

English '' Subscribe '' and/or '' Underwrite '' (formed from Latin ''sub-'', "below", and ''scribea'', "writing", "text") calque either Dutch ''subscribere'' and/or German ''unterschrift'' {Link without Title}

English '' Masterpiece '' calques either Dutch ''meesterstuk'' or German ''Meisterstück''[http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=masterpiece

From Dutch

English '' Santa Claus '' calques Dutch '' Sinnter Klaus ''("Saint Ni-klaus") {Link without Title}

English '' Pineapple '' calques Dutch ''Sparappel'' {Link without Title} {Link without Title}

English '' Superconductor '' calques Dutch ''suprageleider'' {Link without Title}

English '' Brandy, Brandywine '', calque Dutch ''brandewijn''—'burnt wine'¹

From German

English '' Alpenglow '' calques German ''Alpenglühen'' {Link without Title}

English '' Alzheimer's Disease '' calques German ''Alzheimer Krankheit'' {Link without Title}

English '' Apple Strudel '' calques German ''Apfelstrudel'' {Link without Title}

English '' Antibody '' calques German ''Antikörper'' {Link without Title}

English '' Arons Tube '' calques German ''Aronssche Röhre'' {Link without Title}

English '' Automobile '' calques German ''Kraftwagen'' (lit. '' Machinized Wagon '') {Link without Title}

English '' Backpack '' calques German '' Rucksack ''

English '' Backformation '' calques German ''Rückbildung'' (lit. "Back building") ''English in Europe'' by Manfred Görlach

English '' Ball Lightning '' calques German ''Kugelblitz'' ''English in Europe'' by Manfred Görlach

English '' Beer Garden '' calques German ''Biergarten'' {Link without Title}

English '' Braun Tube '' calques German ''Braunsche Röhre'' {Link without Title}

English '' Cookbook '' calques German ''Kochbuch'' {Link without Title}

English '' Cobalt '' calques German ''Kobalt'' {Link without Title}

English '' Concertmaster '' and '' Concertmeister '' calque German ''Konzertmeister'' {Link without Title}

English '' Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease , and Mad Cow Disease '' calques German ''Creutzfeldt-Jakob-Krankheit'' {Link without Title}

English '' Diesel Engine '' calques German '' Dieselmotor '' {Link without Title}

English '' Dollar '' calques German '' Thaler '' (short for '' Joachimsthal er'') {Link without Title}

English '' Cross-dressing '' calques German ''Transvestismus'' {Link without Title}

English '' Flamethrower '' calques German ''Flammenwerfer'' {Link without Title}

English '' Foreword '' calques German ''Vorwort'', which itself calques Latin ''præfatio'' (from ''præ-" "before" plus ''fari'' "speak") "preface" {Link without Title}

English '' Geiger Counter '' calques German ''Geigerzähler'' {Link without Title}

English '' Glitz '' calques German ''glitzerig'' (lit. "glittering") {Link without Title}

English '' Glitzy '' calques German ''glitzern'' (lit. "glitters") {Link without Title}

English '' Gramophone '' calques German ''Grammophon''/''Grammefon'' {Link without Title}

English '' Hero ic Tenor '' calques German ''Heldentenor'' {Link without Title}

English '' Intelligence Quotient '' calques German ''Intelligenz-quotient'' {Link without Title}

English ''loan translation'' calques German ''Lehnübersetzung''

English '' Loanword '' calques German ''Lehnwort'' {Link without Title}

English '' Kris/Kriss Kringle '' calques German ''Christkindl'' (lit. " Christ Child ") {Link without Title} {Link without Title}

English '' Masochism '' calques German ''Masochismus'' {Link without Title}

English '' Mercury/quicksilver Vapor Lamp '' calques German ''Quecksilberdampflampe'' {Link without Title}

English '' Microphone '' calques German ''Mikrophon''/''Mikrefon'' {Link without Title} (Note:the German word for Microphone is now ''Sprechmuschel'')

English '' Overman '' and '' Superman '' (i.e., self-transcending human) calque German '' Übermensch '' {Link without Title}

English '' Parentship/pregnancy Test '' calques German ''Schwangerschaftstest'' {Link without Title}

English ''power politics'' calques German '' Machtpolitik '' {Link without Title}

English '' Rainforest '' calques German ''Regenwald'' {Link without Title}

English ''realistic politics'' calques German '' Realpolitik '' {Link without Title}

English '' Sports Shoe '', and '' Athletic Shoe '' calques German ''Sportschuh'' {Link without Title}

English '' Standpoint '' (point of view) calques German ''Standpunkt'' {Link without Title}

English '' Superego '' (formed from Latin ''super-'' "over, above" plus ''ego'' "I") calques German ''über-Ich'' "over-I" {Link without Title}

English '' Stormtrooper s'' calques German ''Sturmtruppen'' {Link without Title}

English '' Subliminal '' (formed from Latin ''sub-'', "below", plus ''limin'' ( Gen. ''liminis'', "threshold") calques German ''unter der Schwelle'', "beneath the threshold" {Link without Title}

English '' Submarine '' calques German '' Unterseeboot '' (lit. "under-sea boat") {Link without Title}

English '' Tank '' calques German '' Panzerwagen '' (or '' Panzer '', for short)(lit. " Armored Wagon ") {Link without Title}

English '' Thought Experiment '' calques German ''Gedankenexperiment'' {Link without Title}

English '' Watershed '' calques German ''Wasserscheide'' {Link without Title}

English '' Worldview '' calques German ''Weltanschauung'' {Link without Title}

English '' World War '' calques German ''Weltkrieg'' {Link without Title}

From Latin

English '' Commonplace '' calques Latin ''locus commūnis'' (referring to a generally applicable literary passage), which itself is a calque of Greek ''koinos topos'' {Link without Title}

English '' Devil's Advocate '' calques Latin ''advocātus diabolī'', referring to an official appointed to present arguments against a proposed canonization or beatification in the Catholic Church {Link without Title}

English '' Wisdom Tooth '' calques Latin ''dēns sapientiae'' {Link without Title}

English '' Milky Way '' calques Latin ''via lactea'' {Link without Title}

English ''in a nutshell'' calques Latin ''in nuce'' see [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Pliny_the_Elder/7---.html Pliny VII.21

English '' Saturday '' partially calques Latin ''Diēs Saturnī'' day of Saturn {Link without Title}

Freia

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From Spanish

English '' Blue-blood '' calques Spanish '''' {Link without Title}

English ''moment of truth'' calques Spanish '''' which refers to the time of the final sword thrust in a Bullfight . {Link without Title}

From other languages

English '' Gospel '' calques Greek ''evangelion'' (good news) {Link without Title}

English '' High King '' calques Irish and Scottish Gaelic '' Ard Ri/Ard Righ ''

English '' Pea Jacket '' or '' Pea Coat '' calques North Frisian ''pijekkat'' {Link without Title}

English '' Side-sword '' calques Italian ''spada da lato'', referring to a versatile one-handed sword of 16th and 17th century Europe.

LATIN

Latin ''compassio'' calques Greek ''sympathia'' "sympathy" (Latin: "suffering with", Greek: "suffering together")

Latin ''insectus'' calques Greek ''entomos''

Latin ''musculus'' "muscle" (= "common house mouse", literally "little mouse" from ''mus'' "mouse") calques Greek ''mys'' "muscle" (= "mouse")

Latin ''magnanimus'' calques Greek μεγαλοψυχος (''megalopsuchos'')

--- Lat. root ''magnus'' = Gr. μεγαλος (''megalos'') = "great; large"

--- Lat. root ''animus'' = Gr. ψυχη (''psuchē'') = "soul" {Link without Title}

ROMANCE LANGUAGES

Examples of Romance language expressions calqued from foreign languages include:

French ''lune de miel'', Catalan ''lluna de mel'', Spanish ''luna de miel'', Portuguese ''lua-de-mel'', Italian ''luna di miele'' abd Romanian ''luna de miere'' calque English '' Honeymoon ''

French ''gratte-ciel'', Catalan ''gratacels'', Spanish ''rascacielos'', Portuguese ''arranha-céus'' and Italian ''grattacielo'' calque English '' Skyscraper ''

French ''sabot de Denver'' calques English '' Denver Boot ''

French ''jardin d'enfants'', Spanish ''jardín de infancia'' and Portuguese ''Jardim de infância'' calque ''Garden of Infants/children'', from German '' Kindergarten ''(children's garden)

French

French ''courriel'' (contraction of courrier électronique) calques English '' Email '' (electronic mail)

French ''disque dur'' calques English '' Hard Disk ''

French ''en ligne'' calques English '' Online ''

French ''haute résolution'' calques English '' High Resolution ''

French ''disque compact'' calques English '' Compact Disc ''

French ''haute fidélité'' calques English '' Hi-fi (high fidelity)''

French ''large bande'' calques English '' Broadband ''

French ''modulation de fréquence'' calques English '' Frequency Modulation '' (FM)

French ''média de masse'' calques English '' Mass Media ''

French ''surhomme'' calques German '' Übermensch '' ( Nietzsche 's concept)

French ''OVNI'' (Objet Volant Non Identifié) calques English '' UFO '' (Unidentified Flying Object)

In some dialects of French, the English term " Weekend " becomes ''la fin de semaine'' ("the end of week"), a calque, but in some it is left untranslated as ''le week-end'', a loanword.

Spanish

Many calques found in Southwestern US Spanish, come from English:

Spanish ''escuela alta'' calques English '' High School '' (''secundaria'' or ''escuela secundaria'' in Standard Spanish)

Spanish ''grado (de escuela)'' calques English '' Grade (in School) '' (''nivel'' in Standard Spanish)

Spanish ''colegio'' calques English '' College '' (''universidad'' in Standard Spanish; ''colegio'', in standard Spanish, is synonymous with ''escuela'' and means School )

Spanish ''librería'' calques English '' Library '' (''biblioteca'' in Standard Spanish; ''librería'' in Standard Spanish means ''bookshop'')

Spanglish

Also technological terms calqued from English are used throughout the Spanish-speaking world:

Spanish ''tarjeta de crédito'' calques English '' Credit Card ''

Spanish ''alta tecnología'' calques English ''high technology''

Spanish ''disco compacto'' calques English '' Compact Disc ''

Spanish ''correo electrónico'' calques English '' Electronic Mail ''

Spanish ''alta resolución'' calques English '' High Resolution ''

Spanish ''enlace'' calques English ''link (Internet)''

Spanish ''sitio web'' calques English '' Web Site ''

Spanish ''página web'' calques English '' Web Page ''

Spanish ''ratón'' calques English '' Mouse (computer) ''

GERMANIC LANGUAGES

Afrikaans and Dutch

Afrikaans ''aartappel'' and Dutch ''aardappel'' calque French ''pomme de terre'' ("earth apple")

Afrikaans ''besigheid'' calques English ''business''

Afrikaans ''e-pos'' calques English ''e-mail''

Afrikaans ''hardeskyf'' and Dutch ''harde schijf'' calque English ''hard disk''

Afrikaans ''klankbaan'' calques English ''sound track''

Afrikaans ''kleurskuifie'' calques English ''colour slide''

Afrikaans ''pynappel'' calques English ''pineapple'' calques French ''pomme de pin''

Afrikaans ''sleutelbord'' calques English ''keyboard''

Afrikaans ''tuisblad'' calques English ''homepage''

Afrikaans ''wolkekrabber'' and Dutch ''wolkenkrabber'' calque English ''skyscraper''

German

''Fernsehen'' from "television"

''Fernsprecher'' from "telephone"

[so.

Icelandic

Icelandic ''rafmagn'', "electricity," is a half-calqued coinage that literally means "amber power."

---''raf'' translates the Greek root ηλεκτρον (''elektron''), which means "amber"

---''magn'', "power," is descriptive of electricity's nature but not a direct calque from the source word "electricity"

SLAVIC LANGUAGES

Russian

The poet Aleksandr Pushkin (1799 - 1837) was perhaps the most influential among the Russian literary figures who would transform the modern Russian language and vastly expand its ability to handle abstract and scientific concepts by importing the sophisticated vocabulary of Western intellectuals.

Although some Western vocabulary entered the language as loanwords -- e.g., Italian ''salvietta'', "napkin," was simply Russified in sound and spelling to салфетка (''salfetka'') -- Pushkin and those he influenced most often preferred to render foreign borrowings into Russian by calquing. Compound words were broken down to their component roots, which were then translated piece-by-piece to their Slavic equivalents. But not all of the coinages caught on and became permanent additions to the lexicon; for example, '''любомудрие''' (''ljubomudrie'') was promoted by 19th-century Russian intellectuals as a calque of "philosophy," but the word eventually fell out of fashion, and modern Russian instead uses the loanword '''философия''' (''filosofija'').

Russian любомудрие (''ljubomudrie'') calqued Greek-derived "philosophy":

--- Russ. root любить (''ljubit' '') = Gr. '''φιλειν''' (''filein'') = "to love";

--- Russ. root мудрость (''mudrost' '') = Gr. '''σοφία''' (''sofia'') = "wisdom"

Russian зависимость (''zavisimost' '') calques Latin-derived "dependence":

--- Russ. root за (''za'') = Lat. ''de'' = "down from"

--- Russ. root висеть (''viset' '') = Lat. ''pendere'' = "to hang; to dangle"

Russian полуостров (''poluostrov'') calques German ''Halbinsel'', both meaning "peninsula":

--- Russ. root полу- (''polu-'') = Ger. ''halb'' = "half; semi-"

--- Russ. root остров (''ostrov'') = Ger. ''Insel'' = "island"

Russian детский сад (''detskij sad'') calques German ''Kindergarten'', both literally suggesting "children's garden"

Ukrainian

велике спасибі (''velyke spasybi'') calques Russian '''большое спасибо''' (''bol'shoe spasibo''), both literally "a big thank-you"

необхідний (''neobkhidnyj'') calques Russian '''необходимый''' (''neobkhodimyj''), both meaning "necessary"

FINNISH

Germanic passive agent marker — There is no passive voice in Finnish , but an impersonal, where the agent is never mentioned. Due to the influence of Germanic Languages , the word ''toimesta'' "from the action" has been constructed in order to mention the agent, i.e. to function like the word "by". (It is impossible to translate the word "by" itself, because there is no direct equivalent.) For example, "Lentokonetta lennetään ohjaajan toimesta", approximately "The plane is being flown, from the action of the pilot." This is grammatically incorrect, but used abundantly in legal documents and sloppy translations.

Swedish future marker ''kommer att'' or German ''werden'' calqued as ''tulla + (verb in Third Infinitive Illative )'' — There is no Future Tense in Finnish, and the calque is produced by translation from Swedish and German. Note that the verb ''tulla'' takes up the inflection, and is to be placed into the appropriate tense and person. The calque corresponds to English "is going". For example, ''tullaan muuttamaan'' "is going to be changed". This is considered incorrect grammar, but perfectly understandable and found in translations, political speech and even in legal documents..

English ''you''-impersonal calqued; e.g. ''sä et elä jos sä et syö'' is word-for-word "you don't live if you don't eat", unlike the native ''Syömättä ei elä''. Note that this phenomenon is not always traceable to English. Here contraction ''sä'' of spoken language is used instead of the ''sinä'' of written language..

Since Finnish, a Finno-Ugric language, differs radically in pronunciation and orthography from Indo-European languages, most loans adopted in Finnish either are calques or soon become such. Examples include:

from Greek: ''sarvikuono'' (rhinoceros, from Greek "rinokeros"),

from Latin: ''viisaudenhammas'' (wisdom tooth, from Latin "dens sapientiae"),

from English: ''kovalevy'' (English "hard disk"),

from French: ''kirpputori'' (flea market, French "marché aux puces"),

from German: ''lastentarha'' (German "Kindergarten"),

from German: ''panssarivaunu'' (German "Panzerwagen"),

from Swedish: ''moottoritie'' (highway, from Swedish "motorväg"),

from Chinese: ''aivopesu'' (brainwash, from Chinese "xi nao"),

from Spanish: ''siniverinen'' (blue-blooded, from Spanish "de sangre azul")

HEBREW

''tappuach adamah'' (potato) from French ''pomme-de-terre''

''gan yeladim'' from German ''Kindergarten''

''chashmal'' for "electricity" from Greek ''ēlektron'' (amber)

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Calque