Words: calque

Tolkien scholar T.A. Shippey used this word to describe his predecessor's linguistic and literary layering of culture and meaning in his works -- somewhat in the sense of to impress, to imprint, or esp. to emboss.

Main Entry: calque
Pronunciation: 'kalk
Function: noun
Etymology: French, literally, copy, from calquer to trace, from Italian calcare to trample, trace, from Latin, to trample -- more at CAULK