These are the questions that keep me up at night

[conuly]

I can't figure out if the word "wanderlust" is a loanword or a calque. I think it must be a calque if we say it like we'd say an English word spelled that way, and a loanword if we say it like we'd say a German word spelled that way (or like we think Germans would say it, anyway).

Poll #19414 Wanderlust

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 125

View Respondents

How do you say the word "wanderlust"?

View Answers

With a w at the beginning
112 (89.6%)

With a v at the beginning
6 (4.8%)

I'm not sure. I've never actually said it or heard it said
7 (5.6%)

I'm not familiar with this word
0 (0.0%)

Comments

[conuly]

"Wanderlust" seems like an exception: I think most American English speakers who use the word know (or believe) that it's of German origin, but nonetheless pronounce it as though a word spelled that way had been English all along.

The poll certainly would seem to confirm this. Which does make it a calque.