A word or phrase created by literally translating each part of a word from another language into equivalent words in a new language, rather than borrowing the word itself.
From French 'calque' meaning 'copy' or 'imitation,' from 'calquer' (to trace). Linguists adopted this term in the 20th century to describe a specific type of language borrowing.
English 'skyscraper' is probably a calque of German 'Wolkenkratzer' (cloud-scratcher), and German speakers looking at American skyscrapers thought 'Wolkenkratzer'—different languages even imagined tall buildings the same way.
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