låneordsöversättningar

Låneordsöversättningar, often referred to as loan translation or calque, is a linguistic phenomenon where a word or phrase from one language is translated literally into another language, element by element. This process results in a new expression in the target language that mirrors the structure and meaning of the source language expression.

For example, the English word "skyscraper" has been translated into several languages as a calque. In Swedish, it became "skyskrapa," literally "sky scraper." Similarly, the French "château fort" (strong castle) is a calque that influenced the English "stronghold."

Calques can occur at both the word and phrase level. Single-word calques might involve translating the components of a compound word. Phrase-level calques translate idiomatic expressions or multi-word terms. The German "Fußball" (foot ball) is a calque of the English "football."

While calques can enrich a language by introducing new concepts or ways of expression, they can sometimes sound unnatural or awkward if not fully assimilated into the target language's grammatical and stylistic norms. The acceptance and naturalization of a calque depend on various factors, including its usefulness, the prestige of the source language, and how well it fits the phonetic and morphological patterns of the target language. Over time, many calques become so common that their foreign origin is no longer readily apparent.