Loading solver...
A word or multi-word expression adopted from another language by translating its semantic components or constituent morphemes literally, word for word.
From French calque ('tracing, copy', from calquer 'to trace'). In contact linguistics, a calque represents a sophisticated alternative to direct phonological borrowing: rather than adopting foreign sounds (like borrowing 'croissant' directly), speakers translate the internal conceptual anatomy of the foreign term using native morphemes. English is saturated with calques from Latin, French, German, and Chinese. For example, 'flea market' is a direct morphemic translation of French marché aux puces; 'masterpiece' translates early Dutch meesterstuk; 'wisdom tooth' translates Latin dens sapientiae; 'scapegoat' was invented in 1530 by biblical translator William Tyndale to calque Hebrew azazel; 'superman' calques Friedrich Nietzsche's German Übermensch; 'earworm' translates German Ohrwurm; and 'paper tiger' translates Chinese zhǐlǎohǔ.
Test any English word to explore loan translations and morphemic calques:
Verified English words exemplifying calque with Scrabble scores
Linguistic definitions, etymological origins, and tournament usage
A loanword borrows the actual phonetic sound of the foreign word (e.g., 'ballet' from French). A calque borrows only the underlying concept and translates it literally into native English words (e.g., 'flea market' translating 'marché aux puces').