popular etymology

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popular etymology

(Linguistics) linguistics another name for folk etymology

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

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In the Gospel, Jesus refers to Nathanael as "a true Israelite." There is a contrast here between Nathanael, who has no duplicity, and Jacob, the first to bear the name "Israel." The popular etymology of the name "Israel" was "the one who sees God." Indeed, Jacob had a heavenly vision (cf Gn 28:12-15).

The call of Nathanael

This, and its variants 'Baxingapara', and 'Sin-gapura', may mean 'gateway [gapura] to [the coast or kingdom of] China [Sin or Xin]', rather than the more popular etymology of 'Singa-pura' = 'lion-city'.

National Library Board (Singapore), Visualising Space: maps of Singapore and the region. Collections from the National Library and National Archives of Singapore

Another popular etymology connects the word with ' go sip'; when British politicians sent their assistants to bars to ' go sip' a beer and listen to public opinion!