In
linguistics, a calque (
pronounced ) or loan translation is a
word or
phrase borrowed from another
language by
literal, "word-for-word" (
Latin: "verbum pro verbo") or root-for-root translation. The common
English phrase "
flea market" is a phrase calque that literally translates the
French "marché aux puces"
[1]Going in the other direction, from English to French, provides an example of how a
compound word may be calqued by first breaking it down into its component
roots. The French "gratte-ciel" is a word-coinage inspired by the model of the English "
skyscraper" — "gratter" literally translates "scrape", and "ciel" translates "sky".
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