query

[Robert R. Ratcliffe]

I've recently had my attention draw to a process in borrowing and I
wonder if there is a name for it:

When a concept is borrowed, rather than borrowing the word, or calquing
it, a word which sounds similar to the original with related semantics
is extended, or a compound is made which sounds close to the original
and is semantically plausible.

For example "index" becomes in Chinese inde (formed from /in/ "pull",
/de/ "find") [source: student paper, so correct me if I'm wrong.]

This is very common in East Asian languages, I believe. But I've come
across examples elsewhere. For example in Morocco the Arabic word /silk/
"thread" is used to translate the Frence "cycle" /sikl/ as an academic
term, rather than the usual Arabic word for cycle /daura/.

It is sort of the opposite of a calque-- in the sense of borrowing the
sound without the meaning-- but I don't know what to call it. By the way
does anyone have other examples?
____________________________________
*NEW E-mail address: ratcliffe at tufs.ac.jp*

Robert R. Ratcliffe
Associate Professor, Arabic and Linguistics
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
Asahi-machi 3-11-1, Fuchu-shi, Tokyo 183-8534 Japan


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