folk etymology

n. Change in the form of a word or phrase resulting from a mistaken assumption about its composition or meaning, as in shamefaced for earlier shamfast, "bound by shame," or cutlet from French côtelette, "little rib."

folk etymology

n 1. (Linguistics) the gradual change in the form of a word through the influence of a more familiar word or phrase with which it becomes associated, as for example sparrow-grass for asparagus 2. (Linguistics) a popular but erroneous conception of the origin of a word

folk′ etymol`ogy

n. 1. a modification of a linguistic form according either to a falsely assumed etymology, as Welsh rarebit from Welsh rabbit, or to a historically irrelevant analogy, as bridegroom from bridegome. 2. a popular but false notion of the origin of a word. [1880–85]

folk etymology

the reanalysis of a word by native speakers into a new element or elements, e.g. hamburger (properly ‘from Hamburg’) being split into ham- and -burger; and the subsequent combination of -burger with a number of words in which it is used to mean ‘ground patty.’See also: Linguistics

Thesaurus

Noun

folk etymology - a popular but erroneous etymologyetymology - a history of a word

Folk Etymology

the reinterpretation and transformation of obscure words (for the most part, of foreign origin) through their association with similar-sounding words or meaningful parts of words in one’s native language. Folk etymology is based on purely fortuitous, external sound correspondences. For example, in Russian, the substandard word poluklinika (literally, “semiclinic”) is used instead of its standard literary counterpart, poliklinika (“polyclinic”), owing to the association of the unfamiliar poli- with the familiar Russian form polu- (“half-,” “semi-,” “hemi-”). The English word “crayfish,” derived from Middle French crevice, is another example of folk etymology.

folk etymology

folk etymology

folk etymology

folk′ etymol`ogy

folk etymology

Folk Etymology

Folk Etymology

folk etymology

Words related to folk etymology

noun a popular but erroneous etymology

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