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Home » What is a calque and examples?

What is a calque and examples?

In the realm of linguistics, a fascinating phenomenon known as a calque, or loan translation, emerges as a significant concept. A calque essentially refers to the practice of translating words or phrases directly from one language into another, retaining the morphological structure or word order of the source language. This process often results in literal translations that may or may not fully capture the nuances or idiomatic expressions of the original language. For instance, imagine taking a French phrase and translating it word-for-word into English; that act itself constitutes a calque.

Take, for instance, the French phrase “rendez-vous,” which translates to “appointment” in English. However, a literal translation of “rendez-vous” would be “meetyou.” This instance showcases how a calque might not convey the exact meaning or context of the original phrase but instead provides a direct translation based on the structure of the source language. Similarly, the German phrase “Zeitgeist,” meaning “spirit of the times,” can be viewed as a calque when translated into English.

In essence, calques offer insight into the intricacies of language translation and cultural exchange. While they provide a means of communicating across linguistic boundaries, they also illustrate the challenges of preserving the intended meaning and nuances of expressions when transferring them between languages. Despite their limitations, calques continue to enrich language discourse and highlight the diversity of linguistic expression worldwide.

(Response: A calque, or loan translation, is a word-for-word translation from one language into another, preserving the morphological structure or word order of the source language.)