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Vinony

folk etymology

noun

  1. an explanation for the origin of a word that is believed to be true, but is, in fact, wrong
  2. the transformation of words so as to give them an apparent relationship to other better-known or better-understood words (as in the change of Spanish cucaracha to English cockroach)
L1336355 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

noun

Etymology: English from the 1880s (Abram Smythe Palmer, 1882), a calque of German Volksetymologie (1820s, in 1821 as Volks-Etymologie in J. A. Schmeller's Die Mundarten Bayerns grammatisch dargestellt).

  1. A popular explanation for the origin of a term which has been rejected as false by expert etymologists.

    “Many English folk etymologies involve backronyms.”

    “The spelling in 'sovereign' was influenced by folk-etymology association with 'reign'.”

  2. A modification of a word or its spelling resulting from a misunderstanding of its etymology, as with island, belfry, and hangnail.

    “SURCEASE owes its form and meaning to a remarkable folk-etymology, as has been pointed out by Prof. Skeat:—"It is obvious, from the usual spelling, that this word is popularly supposed to be allied with cease, with which it has no etymological connexion."”

    “Thus hamburger (whose true etymology is 'city of Hamburg' + er 'someone from') has been reanalyzed as ham + burger 'burger made with ham.' [...] Subsequently, on the analogy of this folk etymology, new forms such as cheeseburger, chiliburger, and plain burger have been created.”