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

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How do you say the word "wanderlust"?

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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

[darkoshi]

To me, Joni Mitchell's pronunciation sounds like the normal American pronunciation of "wander" & "lust", like I was originally thinking.
It's also that way in 2 other songs I found:
Blackbear - Wanderlust
The Weeknd - Wanderlust
R.E.M's pronunciation also sounds the same to me, although with a slightly different accent.

[penpusher]

Gordon Lightfoot - "Carefree Highway"

Although can we trust the Canadians to come oot with the right pronunciation?

[darkoshi]

I wouldn't have been able to tell that he's Canadian from his accent on that song. He seems to pronounce it the same way as the others. I've always misheard those lyrics as "Every highway".