A loan translation is a literal translation of a foreign word or expression. This is also known as a calque, from the French word meaning “to trace” or “copy.” Below are twenty commonly-used English expressions listed by the languages they calque.
Chinese
- brainwashing from 洗脑 – xǐnǎo
- lose face from 丢脸 – diūliǎn
- paper tiger from 纸老虎 – zhǐlǎohǔ
French
- free verse from vers libre
- by heart (or off by heart) from par cœur
- Adam’s apple from pomme d’Adam
- rhinestone from caillou du Rhin
- point of view from point de vue
- crime of passion from crime passionnel
- that goes without saying from cela va sans dire
German
- superman from übermensch
- hang glider from hängegleiter
- flamethrower from flammenwerfer
- gummy bear from Gummibärchen
- intelligence quotient (I.Q.) from intelligenzquotient
- skyscraper from wolkenkratzer (lit., cloud scraper)
Hebrew
- scapegoat from עזאזל la-‘aza’zeyl (lit., the goat that departs or [e]scapes)
Latin
- Milky Way from via lactea
- Rest in Peace from requiescat in pace
- in a nutshell from in nuce
You might also be interested in reading how the English language has been influenced by Native American languages, French, Spanish, or the creole language of the Geechee people!
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Fishing games are a classic activity that children especially enjoy! They are easy to set up and can be used as flashcards! This is a classroom activity you’ll be sure to use for years! Check out all the fishing activities in Donald’s English classroom!