stochastic etymology

Etymology:

• stochastic (adjective): from Ancient Greek στοχαστικός (stokhastikos), meaning "aiming at a mark, aiming at conjecture"
• etymology: from Medieval Latin etymologia, from Ancient Greek ἐτυμολογία (etymologia), from ἔτυμον (etymon), meaning "true sense of a word," from ἐτύμως (etymos), meaning "true, real"

Meaning:

Stochastic refers to something that is based on probability or randomness. In linguistics, stochastic etymology is a method of reconstructing the origins of words by considering the statistical likelihood of different sound changes or other linguistic phenomena.

Origin:

The term "stochastic etymology" was first used in the mid-20th century by linguist André Martinet. It gained wider acceptance in the 1970s and 1980s as a quantitative method for studying word origins.

Usage:

Stochastic etymology is used by linguists to:

• Reconstruct the proto-forms of words in a language family
• Determine the direction of borrowing or language contact
• Identify irregularities in sound changes or other linguistic phenomena
• Explore the role of chance in language evolution

Examples:

• The word "cat" may have originated from the Proto-Austronesian word kucing through a series of stochastic sound changes.
• The word "pizza" is likely derived from the Italian word "pitta," which refers to a type of flatbread. This derivation is supported by statistical analysis of sound correspondences between the two words.
• The word "serendipity" was coined by Horace Walpole in the 18th century and is based on the name of a Persian fairy tale. The phonetic similarity between the two words is believed to be coincidental, suggesting that the etymology of "serendipity" is stochastic in nature.

stochastic relate terms

• sting

  Etymology The word sting originates from the Old English word stingan meaning to pi

• stochastic

  Etymology stochastic adjective from Ancient Greek στοχαστικός stokhastik

• firmament

  Etymology Latin firmamentum from late Latin firmare to strengthen Proto Indo Europe

• orphan

• oasis

  Etymology The word oasis originates from the Greek word ὄασις oasis which in

• accident

  Etymology The word accident comes from the Middle English word accident which in tu

• agony

  Etymology Greek ἀγωνία agōnia Meaning Contest struggle painful distr

• boondoggle

  Origin and Etymology of Boondoggle The term boondoggle is believed to have originated

• constipation

  Etymology The word constipation is derived from the Latin word constipare which mean

• python

  Etymology The word python has its roots in Greek mythology It is derived from the name

• private

  Etymology The word private comes from the Latin word privatus which means distinct