Låneöversättelser

Låneöversättningar, often translated as "loan translations" or "calques," are a type of neologism in linguistics that arise when a word or phrase from one language is translated literally into another, preserving the original structure or meaning. This process involves taking the components of a foreign word or phrase and finding corresponding elements in the target language, then assembling them to form a new expression. For example, the English word "skyscraper" might be loan translated into a language as a literal combination of words meaning "sky" and "scraper."

Loan translations are distinct from direct borrowing, where an entire word is adopted from another language without alteration. Instead, loan translations involve a semantic and structural transfer, aiming to replicate the concept and form of the foreign term. They are common in areas where new concepts or technologies emerge and require linguistic equivalents. Languages frequently interact and influence each other, leading to the creation of loan translations as a way to express new ideas without resorting to direct borrowing or inventing entirely new terms from scratch. This phenomenon can be observed across many languages and has been a consistent feature of language evolution throughout history.