Folk etymology Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Folk etymology is a linguistic term for a modification to a word or phrase based on an ahistorical analogy or an erroneous etymology which is popularly believed to be true.In popular usage, the term has also come to mean an "explanation" of the meaning of a word based on its superficial similarity to other words and not on its morphology, documented history or scientifically reconstructible past forms, but in linguistics such an etymology is only a fake etymology.
A folk etymology in the linguistic sense is an accurate explanation of the origins of a word or phrase which refers to a fake etymology or a misunderstanding of the history of the word or phrase.
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In folk etymology, the form of a word changes so that it better matches its popular rationalisation. For example, Old English sam-blind 'semi-blind' or 'half-blind' became sand-blind (as if 'blinded by the sand') when people were no longer able to make sense of the element sam 'half', and Old English bryd-guma 'bride-man' became bridegroom after the loss of the Old English word guma 'man' (compare French 'homme') rendered the compound semantically obscure. More recent examples are French (e)crevisse which became English cray-fish or asparagus which became sparrow-grass.
Similarly, cater-corner became kitty-corner when the original meaning of cater, "four", had become obsolete; the folk etymology of kitty-corner is based on the fake etymology of "cater" having to do with cats, and "cater-corner" having to do with the manner in which cats walk.
The pantry is not so called since it is or was used for storing pots and pans, but because it was originally a bread store (Old French paneterie, compare Spanish panaderķa). (Room; see reference below)
In one example from non-sexist language, a feigned folk etymology was the source of neologisms like herstory to replace history. To make it clear, the idea is that the story of mankind is his story but also her story. In actuality, the word history is etymologically unrelated to the possessive pronoun his; it is from the Greek word historia, meaning 'learning or knowing by inquiry'.
This is an Article on Folk etymology. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Folk etymology Instances of folk etymology
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