Definition
calqued
verb
- past tense and past participle of calque; to create a word or phrase by translating the components of a word from another language literally into the native language.
Usage: linguistics; formal
Examples
- The English phrase 'skyscraper' is believed to have calqued the Dutch word 'wolkenkrabber'.
- Many European languages calqued the term 'television' by combining words meaning 'far' and 'sight'.
- The German word 'Fernseh' was calqued from Greek roots meaning 'distant' and 'to see'.
- Linguists noted that the phrase was calqued directly from the French original.
- When translators calqued technical terms, they often created new vocabulary in the target language.