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prettygoodwordcalque (KALK) - n., a borrowing from one language to another where the semantic components of the original term are literally translated into their equivalents in the borrowing language, also called loan translation.
The canonical example is German Übermensch was calqued into English by separately translating über- as super and Mensch as man, resulting in superman. English is not the only language that does this -- skyscraper has been calqued piecewise into many other languages. From French, from calquer, to copy, from Italian calcare, to trace over/tread, from Latin calcāre, to tread/trample.
---L.
The canonical example is German Übermensch was calqued into English by separately translating über- as super and Mensch as man, resulting in superman. English is not the only language that does this -- skyscraper has been calqued piecewise into many other languages. From French, from calquer, to copy, from Italian calcare, to trace over/tread, from Latin calcāre, to tread/trample.
---L.
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Date: 2026-03-11 03:47 pm (UTC)TIL.
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Date: 2026-03-11 10:02 pm (UTC)I've used the word a few times, in etymology notes, but I don't think (though admittedly my Google-fu is not the best) I've ever run it as an entry.
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Date: 2026-03-12 01:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 01:40 am (UTC)Heh. It should be! But superman gets mentioned more.