Look up calque in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
In linguistics, a calque (/kælk/) or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language while translating its components, so as to create a new lexeme in the target language. For instance, the English word "skyscraper" was calqued in dozens of other languages.[1] Another notable example is the Latin weekday names, which came to be associated by ancient Germanic speakers with their own gods following a practice known as interpretatio germanica: the Latin "Day of Mercury", Mercurii dies (later "mercredi" in modern French), was borrowed into Late Proto-Germanic as the "Day of Wōđanaz" (*Wodanesdag), which became Wōdnesdæg in Old English, then "Wednesday" in Modern English.[2]
The term calque itself is a loanword from the French nouncalque ("tracing, imitation, close copy"), while the word loanword is a calque of the German noun Lehnwort.[3] Calquing is distinct from phono-semantic matching: while calquing includes semantictranslation, it does not consist of phonetic matching—i.e., of retaining the approximate sound of the borrowed word by matching it with a similar-sounding pre-existing word or morpheme in the target language.[4]
Proving that a word is a calque sometimes requires more documentation than does an untranslated loanword because, in some cases, a similar phrase might have arisen in both languages independently. This is less likely to be the case when the grammar of the proposed calque is quite different from that of the borrowing language, or when the calque contains less obvious imagery.
One system classifies calques into five groups. This terminology is not universal.[5]
Phraseological calques: idiomatic phrases are translated word for word. For example, "it goes without saying" calques the French ça va sans dire.[6]
Syntactic calques: syntactic functions or constructions of the source language are imitated in the target language, in violation of their meaning.
Loan-translations: words are translated morpheme by morpheme, or component by component, into another language.
Semantic calques (also known as semantic loans): additional meanings of the source word are transferred to the word with the same primary meaning in the target language. As described below, the "computer mouse" was named in English for its resemblance to the animal; many other languages have extended their own native word for "mouse" to include the computer mouse.
Morphological calques: the inflection of a word is transferred. Some authors call this a morpheme-by-morpheme translation.[7]
Some linguists refer to a phonological calque, in which the pronunciation of a word is imitated in the other language.[8] For example, the English word "radar" becomes the similar-sounding Chinese word 雷达 (pinyin: léidá),[8] which literally means "to arrive (as fast) as thunder".
Partial
Partial calques, or loan blends, translate some parts of a compound but not others.[9] For example, the name of the Irish digital television service "Saorview" is a partial calque of that of the UK service "Freeview", translating the first half of the word from English to Irish but leaving the second half unchanged. Other examples include "liverwurst" (< German Leberwurst) and "apple strudel" (< German Apfelstrudel).[citation needed]
The common English phrase "flea market" is a loan translation of the French marché aux puces ("market of fleas").[11] At least 22 other languages calque the French expression directly or indirectly through another language.[12]
Another example of a common morpheme-by-morpheme loan-translation, is of the English word "skyscraper", which may be calqued using the word for "sky" or "cloud" and the word, variously, for "scraping", "scratching", "piercing", "sweeping", "kissing", etc. At least 54 languages have their own versions of the English word.[13]
Some Germanic and Slavic languages derived their words for "translation" from words meaning "carrying across" or "bringing across", calquing from the Latin translātiō or trādūcō.[14]
History
Since at least 1894, according to TLFi, the French term calque has been used in its linguistic sense, namely in a publication by Louis Duvau, quote:[15]
Un autre phénomène d'hybridation est la création dans une langue d'un mot nouveau, dérivé ou composé à l'aide d’éléments existant déja dans cette langue, et ne se distinguant en rien par l'aspect extérieur des mots plus anciens, mais qui, en fait, n'est que le calque d'un mot existant dans la langue maternelle de celui qui s'essaye à un parler nouveau. [...] nous voulons rappeler seulement deux ou trois exemples de ces calques d’expressions, parmi les plus certains et les plus frappants.
Another phenomenon of hybridization is the creation in a language of a new word, derived or composed with the help of elements already existing in that language, and which is not distinguished in any way by the external aspect of the older words, but which, in fact, is only the copy (calque) of a word existing in the mother tongue of the one who tries out a new language. [...] we want to recall only two or three examples of these copies (calques) of expressions, among the most certain and the most striking. [...]
Since at least 1926, the term calque has been attested in English through a publication by the linguist Otakar Vočadlo [cs], quote:[16]
[...] Such imitative forms are called calques (or décalques) by French philologists, and this is a frequent method in coining abstract terminology, whether nouns or verbs.
^Smith, May. The Influence of French on Eighteenth-century Literary Russian. pp. 29–30.
^Fowler, H. W. [1908] 1999. "Vocabulary § Foreign Words." chap. 1 in The King's English (2nd ed.). New York: Bartelby.com.
^Gilliot, Claude. "The Authorship of the Qur'ān." In The Qur'an in its Historical Context, edited by G. S. Reynolds. p. 97.
^ abYihua, Zhang, and Guo Qiping. 2010. "An Ideal Specialised Lexicography for Learners in China based on English-Chinese Specialised Dictionaries." Pp. 171–92 in Specialised Dictionaries for Learners, edited by P. A. F. Olivera. Berlin: de Gruyter. p. 187.
^Durkin, Philip. The Oxford Guide to Etymology. § 5.1.4
^The 35 languages are listed in the 12 September 2020 edition of the "Calque" article.
^. www.bartleby.com. Archived from the original on March 11, 2007.
^The 22 languages are listed in the 3:30, 12 September 2020 edition of the "Calque" article.
^The 54 languages are listed in the 3:30, 12 September 2020 edition of the "Calque" article.
—— 2009. "Hybridity versus Revivability: Multiple Causation, Forms and Patterns." Journal of Language Contact (2):40–67.
External links
Look up calque in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
For a list of words relating to Calque, see the English calques category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
EtymOnline
Merriam Webster Online
January 07, 2023
calque, confused, with, literal, translation, claque, look, calque, wiktionary, free, dictionary, linguistics, calque, loan, translation, word, phrase, borrowed, from, another, language, literal, word, word, root, root, translation, when, used, verb, calque, m. Not to be confused with literal translation or claque Look up calque in Wiktionary the free dictionary In linguistics a calque k ae l k or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word for word or root for root translation When used as a verb to calque means to borrow a word or phrase from another language while translating its components so as to create a new lexeme in the target language For instance the English word skyscraper was calqued in dozens of other languages 1 Another notable example is the Latin weekday names which came to be associated by ancient Germanic speakers with their own gods following a practice known as interpretatio germanica the Latin Day of Mercury Mercurii dies later mercredi in modern French was borrowed into Late Proto Germanic as the Day of Wōđanaz Wodanesdag which became Wōdnesdaeg in Old English then Wednesday in Modern English 2 The term calque itself is a loanword from the French noun calque tracing imitation close copy while the word loanword is a calque of the German noun Lehnwort 3 Calquing is distinct from phono semantic matching while calquing includes semantic translation it does not consist of phonetic matching i e of retaining the approximate sound of the borrowed word by matching it with a similar sounding pre existing word or morpheme in the target language 4 Proving that a word is a calque sometimes requires more documentation than does an untranslated loanword because in some cases a similar phrase might have arisen in both languages independently This is less likely to be the case when the grammar of the proposed calque is quite different from that of the borrowing language or when the calque contains less obvious imagery Contents 1 Types 1 1 Partial 1 2 Semantic 2 Examples 3 History 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksTypes EditOne system classifies calques into five groups This terminology is not universal 5 Phraseological calques idiomatic phrases are translated word for word For example it goes without saying calques the French ca va sans dire 6 Syntactic calques syntactic functions or constructions of the source language are imitated in the target language in violation of their meaning Loan translations words are translated morpheme by morpheme or component by component into another language Semantic calques also known as semantic loans additional meanings of the source word are transferred to the word with the same primary meaning in the target language As described below the computer mouse was named in English for its resemblance to the animal many other languages have extended their own native word for mouse to include the computer mouse Morphological calques the inflection of a word is transferred Some authors call this a morpheme by morpheme translation 7 Some linguists refer to a phonological calque in which the pronunciation of a word is imitated in the other language 8 For example the English word radar becomes the similar sounding Chinese word 雷达 pinyin leida 8 which literally means to arrive as fast as thunder Partial Edit Partial calques or loan blends translate some parts of a compound but not others 9 For example the name of the Irish digital television service Saorview is a partial calque of that of the UK service Freeview translating the first half of the word from English to Irish but leaving the second half unchanged Other examples include liverwurst lt German Leberwurst and apple strudel lt German Apfelstrudel citation needed Semantic Edit The computer mouse was named in English for its resemblance to the animal Many other languages use their word for mouse for the computer mouse sometimes using a diminutive or in Chinese adding the word cursor 标 making shǔbiao mouse cursor simplified Chinese 鼠标 traditional Chinese 鼠標 pinyin shǔbiao citation needed At least 35 languages have their own versions of the English term 10 Examples EditFor a more comprehensive list see List of calques The common English phrase flea market is a loan translation of the French marche aux puces market of fleas 11 At least 22 other languages calque the French expression directly or indirectly through another language 12 Another example of a common morpheme by morpheme loan translation is of the English word skyscraper which may be calqued using the word for sky or cloud and the word variously for scraping scratching piercing sweeping kissing etc At least 54 languages have their own versions of the English word 13 Some Germanic and Slavic languages derived their words for translation from words meaning carrying across or bringing across calquing from the Latin translatiō or traducō 14 History EditSince at least 1894 according to TLFi the French term calque has been used in its linguistic sense namely in a publication by Louis Duvau quote 15 Un autre phenomene d hybridation est la creation dans une langue d un mot nouveau derive ou compose a l aide d elements existant deja dans cette langue et ne se distinguant en rien par l aspect exterieur des mots plus anciens mais qui en fait n est que le calque d un mot existant dans la langue maternelle de celui qui s essaye a un parler nouveau nous voulons rappeler seulement deux ou trois exemples de ces calques d expressions parmi les plus certains et les plus frappants Another phenomenon of hybridization is the creation in a language of a new word derived or composed with the help of elements already existing in that language and which is not distinguished in any way by the external aspect of the older words but which in fact is only the copy calque of a word existing in the mother tongue of the one who tries out a new language we want to recall only two or three examples of these copies calques of expressions among the most certain and the most striking Since at least 1926 the term calque has been attested in English through a publication by the linguist Otakar Vocadlo cs quote 16 Such imitative forms are called calques or decalques by French philologists and this is a frequent method in coining abstract terminology whether nouns or verbs See also EditAnglicism Chinese Pidgin English Cognate Gallicism Germanism Inkhorn term Loanword Metatypy Semantic loan Translation Wasei eigo EngrishReferences EditNotes Gachelin Jean Marc 1986 Lexique grammaire domaine anglais Universite de Saint Etienne p 97 ISBN 978 2 901559 14 6 Simek Rudolf 1993 Dictionary of northern mythology D S Brewer p 371 ISBN 0 85991 369 4 Knapp Robbin D 27 January 2011 Robb German English Words Robb Human Languages Zuckermann Ghil ad 2003 Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 1 4039 1723 X Smith May The Influence of French on Eighteenth century Literary Russian pp 29 30 Fowler H W 1908 1999 Vocabulary Foreign Words chap 1 in The King s English 2nd ed New York Bartelby com Gilliot Claude The Authorship of the Qur an In The Qur an in its Historical Context edited by G S Reynolds p 97 a b Yihua Zhang and Guo Qiping 2010 An Ideal Specialised Lexicography for Learners in China based on English Chinese Specialised Dictionaries Pp 171 92 in Specialised Dictionaries for Learners edited by P A F Olivera Berlin de Gruyter p 187 Durkin Philip The Oxford Guide to Etymology 5 1 4 The 35 languages are listed in the 12 September 2020 edition of the Calque article Homework Help and Textbook Solutions bartleby www bartleby com Archived from the original on March 11 2007 The 22 languages are listed in the 3 30 12 September 2020 edition of the Calque article The 54 languages are listed in the 3 30 12 September 2020 edition of the Calque article Christopher Kasparek The Translator s Endless Toil The Polish Review vol XXVIII no 2 1983 p 83 Duvau Louis 1894 Expressions hybrides Memoires de la Societe de linguistique de Paris Paris 8 191 Vocadlo Otakar 1926 Slav Linguistic Purity and the Use of Foreign Words The Slavonic Review 5 14 353 JSTOR 4202081 Bibliography Kasparek Christopher 1983 The Translator s Endless Toil The Polish Review 28 2 83 87 Robb German English Words germanenglishwords com Zuckermann Ghil ad 2003 Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 1 4039 1723 X 2009 Hybridity versus Revivability Multiple Causation Forms and Patterns Journal of Language Contact 2 40 67 External links Edit Look up calque in Wiktionary the free dictionary For a list of words relating to Calque see the English calques category of words in Wiktionary the free dictionary EtymOnline Merriam Webster Online Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Calque amp oldid 1127654535, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
