calquing
/ˈkælkiɪŋ/
verb
- To create a word or phrase by translating each element of a foreign expression literally.
- Writers sometimes calque idioms from other languages to add a fresh flavor to their work.
- The term 'brainwashing' was calqued from the Chinese phrase 'xǐ nǎo'.
- When translators calque a term, they must decide whether the literal meaning will be understood by readers.
noun
- The process of creating a word or phrase in a language by translating each part of a foreign word or phrase literally, resulting in a loan translation.
- Linguists study calquing to understand how languages borrow and adapt expressions from one another.
- Calquing often produces phrases that sound natural in the borrowing language, like 'skyscraper' from the German 'Wolkenkratzer'.
- The English phrase 'flea market' is a calquing of the French 'marché aux puces'.