Hobson-Jobson

American

[hob-suhn-job-suhn] / ˈhɒb sənˈdʒɒb sən /

noun

the alteration of a word or phrase borrowed from a foreign language to accord more closely with the phonological and lexical patterns of the borrowing language, as in English hoosegow from Spanish juzgado.

hobson-jobson British

/ ˌhɒbsənˈdʒɒbsən /

noun

another word for folk etymology

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Hobson-Jobson

1625–35; Indian English rendering of Arabic yā Ḥasan, yā Husayn lament uttered during taʿziyah; an example of such an alteration

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In 1886 Henry Yule and Arthur Burnell published Hobson-Jobson, a guide to words from Indian languages that had passed into English.

From BBC • Jun. 30, 2014

Mr Nagra says this is exactly what he loves about Hobson-Jobson.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2012

Hobson-Jobson is the dictionary's short, and mysterious title.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2012

For writers such as Mr Nagra, Hobson-Jobson has often been a source of inspiration.

From BBC • Jul. 11, 2012

The English sometimes miscall it Bristol from a Hobson-Jobson of the name Briol.

From The Complete Book of Cheese by Brown, Robert Carlton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023