Where does “folk etymology” come from?
folk etymology (English) comes from German Volksetymologie, from Dutch volk, from Dutch tuin, from Middle Dutch tuun, from Old Dutch tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną, from Gaulish dunum — smoke; mist, haze.
folk etymology (English): A misunderstanding of the etymology of a word...
Definitions
- A misunderstanding of the etymology of a word...
Ancestry of “folk etymology”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Volksetymologie | folk etymology |
| 2 | Dutch | volk | people, nation; tribe; folk, the common people,... |
| 3 | Dutch | tuin | garden, yard; enclosure, fence or hedge |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | tuun | — |
| 5 | Old Dutch | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 8 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |