calque

/kælk/ (bre, ipa) · /kælk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkalk How to pronounce calque (audio)/ (ame, mw)

calque — noun

1. a word or phrase created by translating each part of a foreign expression direct

1.名詞C2
釋義

a word or phrase created by translating each part of a foreign expression directly into another language, rather than borrowing the original foreign form.

例句

Samir explained that a calque copies meaning, not foreign sounds.

contrast: calque vs loanword

In her paper, Élise called "flea market" a calque from French.

a calque from + language

同義詞
  • loan translation

    the standard technical term for the same process and result

  • literal translation

    broader everyday phrase that can describe whole sentences, not only lexical borrowings

文法句型

a calque from + language

produce a calque

avoid a calque

用法筆記

Mostly used in linguistics, translation studies, and language history. Outside specialist writing, people more often say "loan translation" or explain the idea with "literal translation".

常見錯誤

❌Sushi is a calque from Japanese.
✅Sushi is a loanword from Japanese.
💡a calque translates the meaning into the new language instead of keeping the original form.
❌This sentence is a calque because it is very literal.
✅This phrase is a calque because its parts were translated literally into a new expression.
💡calque names the resulting word or expression, not every literal translation.