"folk etymology"的定义和意义

What is "folk etymology"?

Folk etymology is a phenomenon where a word's origin is incorrectly assumed or reinterpreted based on familiar or popular associations, rather than its true historical roots. This often happens when speakers of a language make sense of an unfamiliar word by linking it to more familiar words or phrases, leading to a changed perception of its meaning. For example, the word "asparagus" is sometimes thought to be related to "sparrow grass" due to its phonetic similarity, even though its true origin is from Latin. Folk etymology highlights how language evolves through social and cultural influences, as well as how speakers try to make sense of language in relatable terms, even if those interpretations are not accurate.