Käännöslainat

Käännöslainat, also known as loan translations or calques, are words or phrases borrowed from another language by direct translation of its components. This means that instead of borrowing the entire word or phrase, linguists or speakers translate each part of the original word or phrase into the target language. For example, the English word "skyscraper" might be translated literally into another language as "sky scraper" if the components translate directly.

This process can occur at both the word and phrase level. Word-level loan translations involve translating a single word, often a compound word or a word with a clear prefix or suffix structure. Phrase-level loan translations involve translating an idiomatic expression or a common grammatical construction. For instance, the German phrase "Weltkrieg" (world war) is a direct translation of the English "world war," where "Welt" translates to "world" and "Krieg" translates to "war."

Käännöslainat are a common linguistic phenomenon and can be found in many languages. They contribute to the evolution of a language by introducing new concepts and expressions, often reflecting cultural or technological influences. While they can enrich a language, they can sometimes sound awkward or unnatural if the translation is too literal and doesn't fit the existing grammatical or semantic patterns of the target language. The recognition and acceptance of käännöslainat can vary, and some may become fully integrated into the language while others remain less common or are considered neologisms.