April 15, 1997

folk etymology

In an entry or two of your absolutely enjoyable "Word of the Day" site, you mention that a folk etymology is the process of altering an uncommon word or element to conform it to one that's better known (for instance, the "cater" in catercorner becoming "kitty" in kitty-corner). However, in my university days majoring in linguistics, it seems to me that the definition I found most common was "an explanation for the origins of a word or phrase which, though quite logical or popular, is untrue." Was I hallucinating, is this an alternate usage, or are you (gasp) mistaken in your application?

We'll go with door #2, "an alternate usage," thus making sure we both look good.

Though one could define the linguistic term folk etymology broadly as 'any popular misconception about the origins of a word or phrase, esp. one resulting in modification', it would be best to divide it up into two separate senses.

The one that I believe is more common is the one I've used in several columns: '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"'. In other words, a modification to make a word seem like it's related to a more common or more easily understood word. In the case of bridegroom, for example, the original form of the second element was gome, based on an Old English word for 'man'; when this word became obsolete, the last element was changed to groom, as if it were related to the very common groom 'person who cares for horses'. Other examples are cockroach, from Spanish cucaracha (itself of uncertain origin), assimilated to cock 'a male chicken' and roach 'a freshwater fish'; and shamefaced, originally shamefast 'bound by shame', with the second element altered to faced as if meaning 'showing shame in one's face'.

The other sense, which I believe is less common in linguistics, is 'a popular but false notion of the origin of a word'. Thus, the idea that posh is an acronym for "Port Outward, Starboard Home," referring to the cooler and therefore more desirable cabins on an England-India sailing route, which is demonstrably untrue, can be called a folk etymology. There is some overlap in these senses, since a popular but false notion of the origin of a word can give rise to a modification of the word.

The expression folk etymology is first attested in the late nineteenth century.