calque
C2Academic / Technical (Linguistics)
Definition
Meaning
A word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal, word-for-word translation of its parts.
In linguistics, a type of loan translation. The process or result of adopting an expression from a source language by creating a literal translation of each of its constituent elements into the target language.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is used almost exclusively within the field of linguistics. It describes both the process (calquing) and the resultant lexical item (a calque).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or use. The term is technical and standard across academic English.
Connotations
Neutral, descriptive term within linguistics.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general language; its use is confined to linguistic discussions. Equal frequency in UK and US academic contexts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Language A] calqued the phrase from [Language B]The term is a calque on/of [original phrase]to calque a term/expressionVocabulary
Synonyms
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Exclusively used in linguistics, philology, and related fields.
Everyday
Not used.
Technical
Core term in linguistics for a specific type of language contact phenomenon.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The English phrase 'it goes without saying' is thought to have been calqued from the French 'ça va sans dire'.
- Linguists argue whether the idiom was calqued consciously or evolved naturally.
American English
- Many terms in American English were calqued from Native American languages.
- The expression 'superman' was calqued from the German 'Übermensch'.
adjective
British English
- The calque formation process is common in language contact zones.
- We identified several calque expressions in the historical text.
American English
- A calque translation can sometimes sound awkward to native speakers.
- The calque term has now become fully naturalized in English.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The English word 'skyscraper' has been calqued into many other languages.
- A calque translates each part of a foreign word separately.
- Scholars noted the pervasive calquing of Latin syntactic structures into early English scholarly prose.
- The term 'loan translation' is essentially a calque of the German 'Lehnübersetzung'.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CALQUE' sounds like 'CALCulate a translation.' You 'calculate' or work out the direct translation of each part.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A BUILDING (with borrowed structural elements).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing it with 'калька' meaning 'tracing paper' or 'copy'. In English, it is only a linguistic term.
- Do not use 'calque' to mean a simple copy or imitation outside of language.
Common Mistakes
- Pronouncing it as /kælkw/ (with a /w/ sound at the end).
- Using it as a general synonym for 'borrowing' (it is a specific subtype).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes a calque?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A loanword is borrowed directly with its sound and meaning (e.g., 'sushi' from Japanese). A calque is a translation of the parts of a foreign term (e.g., 'superman' from German 'Übermensch').
Yes. 'Adam's apple' is a calque from the Hebrew 'tappūaḥ ha’āḏām'. The English phrase 'it goes without saying' is a calque from French 'ça va sans dire'.
Virtually never. It is a specialised technical term. In everyday language, people might say 'it's a direct translation' but would not use the word 'calque'.
It is pronounced like 'cal-k' (/kælk/), rhyming with 'talk'. The final '-que' is silent, as in 'plaque'.