Overview of Folk Etymology

Folk etymology involves a change in the form or pronunciation of a word or phrase resulting from a mistaken assumption about its composition or meaning. Also called popular etymology. G. Runblad and D.B. Kronenfeld identify two main groups of folk etymology, which they call Class I and Class II. Class I contains folk-etymologies where some change has occurred, either in meaning or form, or both. Folk etymologies of the Class II type, on the other hand, do not usually change the meaning or form of the word, but function mainly as some popular, though false, etymological explanation of the word (Lexicology, Semantics, and Lexicography, 2000). Class I is by far the more common type of folk etymology. Connie Eble points out that folk etymology applies mostly to foreign words, learned or old-fashioned words, scientific names, and place-names (Slang and Sociability, 1996). Examples and Observations The process of altering otherwise incomprehensible words, in order to give them a semblance of meaning, is called folk, or popular, etymology. A product of ignorance, it nevertheless should not be underestimated as a factor of language history, for many familiar words owe their form to it. In kitty-corner, kitty is a jocular substitution for cater-. Cater-corner is an opaque compound, while kitty-corner (diagonally from) suggests the movement of a prowling cat. . . .Stepmother, stepdaughter, and so forth suggest the derivation from step. Yet a stepchild is not one step removed from its natural parent; -step goes back to a word meaning bereaved. Many people share Samuel Johnsons opinion that bonfire is a good fire, from French bon, but it means bonefire. Old bones were used as fuel down to the 1800s. The vowel o was shortened before -nf (a regular change before two consonants), and a native English word began to look half-French.(Anatoly Liberman, Word Origins: Etymology for Everyone. Oxford University Press, 2009) Woodchuck and Cockroach Examples: Algonquian otchek a groundhog became by folk etymology woodchuck; Spanish cucaracha became by folk etymology cockroach.(Sol Steinmetz, Semantic Antics: How and Why Words Change Meanings. Random House, 2008)   Female Historically, female, from Middle English femelle (from Old French femelle, a diminutive form of Latin femina woman/female), is unrelated to male (Old French male/masle; Latin masculus (little man/male); but Middle English femelle was clearly remodeled into female based on the association with male (approximately the 14th century) (OED). The remodeling of female brought female and male into their current and apparently sense-related and asymmetric relationship (one that many of us, now, are going to some lengths to unmake.(Gabriella Runblad and David B. Kronenfeld, Folk-Etymology: Haphazard Perversion or Shrewd Analogy.  Lexicology, Semantics, and Lexicography, ed. by  Julie Coleman and Christian Kay. John Benjamins, 2000) Bridegroom When people hear a foreign or unfamiliar word for the first time, they try to make sense of it by relating it to words they know well. They guess what it must mean--and often guess wrong. However, if enough people make the same wrong guess, the error can become part of the language. Such erroneous forms are called folk or popular etymologies.Bridegroom provides a good example. What has a groom got to do with getting married? Is he going to groom the bride, in some way? Or perhaps he is responsible for horses to carry him and his bride off into the sunset? The true explanation is more prosaic. The Middle English form was bridgome, which goes back to Old English brydguma, from bride guma man. However, gome died out during the Middle English period. By the 16th century its meaning was no longer apparent, and it came to be popularly replaced by a similar-sounding word, grome, serving lad. This later developed the sense of servant having the care of horses, which is the dominant sense to day. But bridegroom never meant anything more than brides man.(David Crystal, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2003) EtymologyFrom the German,  Volksetymologie

Song of Solomon Essay Theme of Maturing - 514 Words

Theme of Maturing in Song of Solomon While Song of Solomon is generally seen as a myth of the male maturation, it also contains the subtext of Pilates rite de passage and the ritual of cultural immersion. In her history is the process by which she acquires the values that will sustain Milkman and by extension, the black community. Pilates initiation occurs much earlier than Milkmans. Having been raised in relative isolation in the edenic Lincolns Heaven, Pilate is abruptly and cruelly cast out as an orphan into the greater reality. Her quest for acceptance, however, turns into rejection, her navel-less belly a semà © of exclusion. Thus, in a reversal of the male myth, her initiation does not result in integration into†¦show more content†¦149). Pilate must first deconstruct herself - symbolized by cutting off her hair - before she can reconstruct truth which in addition to her two maxims - that she does not fear death and she has compassion for troubled people (p. 150) - include traditional values. In her wanderings, Pilate has engaged in the hard work ethic: Hoeing, fishing, plowing, planting, and helping out at stills (p. 147). Formal education was not a waste. I didnt mind it too much, she says, matter of fact, I liked a lot of it. I loved the geography part. Learning about that made me want to read. And the teacher was tickled at how much I liked geography. She let me have the book and I took it home with me to look at (p. 142). Had it not been for the child-molesting preacher, Pilate would have stayed in school. Instead, she takes her education on the road, learning geography and life through exp erience. In addition, and more important than acquiring traditional values, Pilate, isolated from an uncomprehending society, develops compassion, a respect for peoples privacy, generosity, and unrestrained laughter. She gave up ... all interest in table manners or hygiene, but acquired a deep concern for and about human relationships (p. 150). That concern leads her back to community, the natural and inevitable completion of her maturation process. Ironically, then, isolation from community inadvertentlyShow MoreRelatedProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pagesworkers, problems ranging from childcare and parking to occupational hazards and safety All employees entering the 777 program-managers, engineers, assembly line workers, and others-were expected to attend a special orientation session devoted to the themes of team work and quality control. Once a quarter, the entire 777 team of up to 10,000 employees met offsite to hear briefings on the aircraft status. Dressed casu ally, the employees were urged to raise questions, voice complaints, and propose improvementsRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 PagesWriting a term paper Setting up a sales kiosk for a professional accounting meeting Developing a supply-chain information system Writing a new piano piece Designing an iPod that is approximately 2 3 4 inches, interfaces with PC, and stores 10,000 songs Wire-tag projects for GE and Wal-Mart Attaching tags on a manufactured product Chapter 1 Modern Project Management 7 example, a pharmaceutical organization could have a program for curing cancer. The cancer program includes and coordinates

Unrescued free essay sample

It was a fine evening when I was among my friends running and playing.the cool air was rejuvenating while the last rays not the sun ornamented the sky.I was chasing a boy along the sidewalk when I heard a distant scream . however, it only semmed distant . As I looked down I saw a little creature near my feet.It was dark , feeble and was writhing in pain.t had mustered all of its courage to call for help. I and my friends responded to its call and gathered around . Its figure confused us. It was feeble and dark like a mongoose but had ears and paws like a dog . Caught in doubt , fear and pity we finally brought it some water. But the thing was so young and weak that it could lap the water no its own . We held its jaws apart and poured a few drops. It swallowed the water immediately and seemed to come to life. We will write a custom essay sample on Unrescued or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page We looked around and found its siblings . There were many like it two dead and one unconscious. They were repulsive and gave a foul smell.We rescued both the pus (now we were sure that they were dogs) and placed them in a box.It dawned on us that they were rendered helpless due to neglect, intense heat and lack of food and water The next step was to find a suitable owner.I asked a lady in a nearby house if she would adopt them, Not only did she deny my suggestion but also replied rudely saying that she would never touch such dogs.Another lady said that she would only keep well- bred dogs such as German shepherd and alsatianms. Another man went to the extent of feigning ignorance towards the word adopt and started listing out a number of excuses. There was a woman who was ready to take care of the dogs ,but being poor it was hard for her to fill the stomach of her children. At the end of the day we left the two pups in a corner under some boards. I went home yet my attention rested with the dogs. I decided to bring them home and keep them for a day or two and find a suitable owner in the meantime.I returned to the place but I could not find them that night, the next morning or even in the evening.There was no sign mof them and the boards had crashed to the ground. They could have been eaten by another animal, thrown in the grabage or taken away- I could only guess. While I still think about those unreached dogs and others of their kind I can only hope to help such animals in the future. I promised to myself that once I stand on my feet I will contribute enough for conservation and protection of the troubled animals that inhabit ourn planet.