urban etymology

Etymology:

• Urban: Related to a city or urban area, derived from the Latin word "urbs" meaning "city."
• Etymology: The study of the origin and history of words, rooted in the Greek words "etymon" (true sense) and "logos" (word, discourse).

Meaning:

Urban etymology refers to the practice of inventing or attributing a folk etymology to a word or phrase. This folk etymology often provides a simplistic or humorous explanation for the origin of the word, rather than its actual linguistic history.

Origin:

The term "urban etymology" emerged in the early 20th century. It was first used by linguists to describe the process of creating popular or simplified etymologies for words, which were often based on superficial similarities in sound or appearance rather than actual linguistic connections.

Characteristics:

• Plausibility: Urban etymologies often have an element of plausibility, making them seem like they could be true.
• Creativity: They demonstrate a creative and imaginative approach to understanding the origins of words.
• Humor: Many urban etymologies are humorous or tongue-in-cheek, adding a playful element to the study of language.
• Lack of linguistic evidence: They are typically not supported by linguistic evidence or historical documentation.

Examples:

• Kilowatt: Often said to be a combination of "kill a watt," reflecting its high power consumption (actually derived from the names of scientists James Watt and Georg Ohm).
• Shrimp: Said to come from the Dutch word "schrimpen" (to peel), because peeling them is a common way to eat them (actually derived from the Old English word "scrimp").
• Serendipity: Supposedly named after the Serendip Islands (now Sri Lanka), where a fairy tale featured characters who made discoveries by accident (actually coined by Horace Walpole, a British writer and politician).

Significance:

Urban etymologies provide insights into how people make sense of language and how they connect with the history and meaning of words. They also demonstrate the creative and playful aspects of language use.

urban relate terms

• urbane

  Etymology The word urbane originates from the Latin word urbanus meaning of or belo

• urban

  Etymology Urban Related to a city or urban area derived from the Latin word urbs me

• human

  Etymology Latin humanus Proto Indo European dʰǵʰéǵʰōm Meaning A person

• humane

  Etymology The word humane comes from the Latin word humanus meaning human It is

• German

  Etymology The word German derives from the Latin word Germanus which in turn origin

• germane

  Etymology and Origin The adjective germane originates from the Latin word germanus

• annual

  Etymology Latin annuālis Proto Indo European h₂étos Meaning Occurring once a

• urban

  Etymology Urban Related to a city or urban area derived from the Latin word urbs me

• abscond

  Etymology The word abscond comes from the Latin word abscondere which means to hid

• germane

  Etymology and Origin The adjective germane originates from the Latin word germanus

• suburb

  Etymology From Late Latin suburbium meaning lying near the city from Latin sub un

• rural

  Etymology The word rural is derived from the Latin word rus meaning countryside

• consumer

  The word consumer comes from the Latin word consumere which means to consume This

• boulevard

  Etymology French boulevard Old French bolvert Medieval Latin bulvercum meaning ram

• skyscraper

  Etymology The word skyscraper is a compound noun consisting of the words sky and scr

• vocation

  Etymology and Origin The word vocation comes from the Latin word vocatio meaning a

• incarceration

  Etymology The word incarceration comes from the Latin incarcerare meaning to impri

• robot

  Etymology The word robot comes from the Czech word robota which means forced labor