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popular etymology

popular etymology

  1. linguistics another name 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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of popular etymology1

First recorded in 1875–80
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Example Sentences

It hurts me to pour icy water upon that straw-grasping desperation that is popular etymology - ie the jolly tales that would seem so perfect when tracing a word's background.

From BBC

The old interpretation “save, now!” which may be a popular etymology, is based on Ps. cxviii.

Popular etymology has connected the word with “good”; this is exemplified by the corruption of “God be with you” into “good-bye.”

It is probable then that there is a triple popular etymology in the various forms of writing the name Aššur; viz.

Beyond Tomi, where a popular etymology fixed the ‘cutting up’ of Apsyrtos, we need not follow the fortunes of Jason and Medea.

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