false etymology
Invented word origin
A false etymology is an incorrect explanation of a word's origin that has become widely believed.
Folk etymology is the common term for this—explanations that feel right but aren't: that "posh" stands for "port out, starboard home," or that "fuck" is an acronym.
False etymologies often sound more interesting than the mundane truth, which helps them spread.
- backronymRetrofitted letter meanings
- word originSource of a term
- misconceptionErroneous belief or understanding
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
- urban legendUnverified viral story
old wives tale · linguistic · origin · word · roots · derivation · spurious · invented · legend · apocryphal · mistaken · popular · plausible · too good to be true · corruption · reanalysis · borrowed · Latin
- dictionary errorsmisspelling, typo, circular definition, pronunciation error