folk etymology
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noun
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.
a popular but false notion of the origin of a word.
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Nearby words
folivore, folivorous, folk, folk art, folk dance, folk etymology, folk linguistics, folk magic, folk mass, folk medicine, folk memory
Origin of folk etymology
First recorded in 1880–85
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for folk etymology
British Dictionary definitions for folk etymology
folk etymology
noun
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
a popular but erroneous conception of the origin of a word
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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