spurious etymology

Meaning:

Spurious etymology is the false or mistaken belief about the origin or meaning of a word.

Origin:

The term "spurious etymology" combines two Latin roots:

• Spurius: Meaning "false" or "illegitimate"
• Etymologia: Meaning "study of the origins of words"

Etymology of Spurious:

The adjective "spurious" comes from the Latin word spurius, meaning "false" or "illegitimate." It was originally used to describe children born out of wedlock but later came to be applied more generally to anything that was fake or counterfeit.

Etymology of Etymology:

The noun "etymology" comes from the Greek word etymologia, meaning "study of the origins of words." It is derived from the root words etymon, meaning "true meaning," and logos, meaning "word."

False Etymologies:

Spurious etymologies often arise from:

• Mistakes: Misinterpretations or misspellings of historical documents
• Folklore: Oral traditions that misattribute the origin of words
• Guesswork: Unsubstantiated assumptions about the derivation of words

Common Examples:

• Nice: Mistakenly believed to come from the Latin phrase "nescire invidere civi," meaning "ignorance is bliss."
• Queue: Thought to come from the Chinese word "qiao," meaning "bridge," due to its resemblance to a line of people waiting to cross a bridge.
• Hangman: Erroneously linked to the execution method of hanging, when it actually derives from the Dutch word "hangen," meaning "to hang."

spurious relate terms

• specious

  Etymology The word specious has Latin roots deriving from the following speciōsus

• bogus

  Etymology Bogus Originated from a corruption of the name of the American inventor Samu

• athetosis

  Etymology Greek athetos unsteady irregular Meaning Athetosis is a neurologica

• mock

  Etymology The word mock originates from the Middle English term mokken which means

• sophisticated

  Etymology From Latin sophisticatus past participle of sophisticare meaning to ad

• genuine

  Etymology The word genuine derives from the Latin word genuinus which means native

• reprobation

  Etymology The word reprobation comes from the Latin word reprobare which means to r

• discretion

  Etymology The word discretion comes from the Middle English word discrecioun which

• charity

  Etymology The word charity comes from the Latin word caritas which means love affe