false etymology
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False etymology — A false etymology is an assumed or postulated etymology that current consensus among scholars of historical linguistics holds to be incorrect. Many false etymologies may be described as folk etymologies , the distinction being that folk… … Wikipedia
false — (adj.) late 12c., from O.Fr. fals, faus (12c., Mod.Fr. faux) false, fake, incorrect, mistaken, treacherous, deceitful, from L. falsus deceived, erroneous, mistaken, pp. of fallere deceive, disappoint, of uncertain origin (see FAIL (Cf. fail)).… … Etymology dictionary
Etymology — Etymologies redirects here. For the encyclopedia, see Etymologiae. For the Elvish dictionary, see The Etymologies (Tolkien). Not to be confused with Entomology or Etiology. For help writing an etymology on Wikipedia, see Template:Etymology … Wikipedia
false — [[t]fɔls[/t]] adj. fals•er, fals•est, adv. 1) not true or correct; erroneous; wrong: a false statement[/ex] 2) uttering or declaring what is untrue; lying: a false witness[/ex] 3) not faithful or loyal; treacherous; hypocritical: a false… … From formal English to slang
False friend — False friends (or faux amis ) are pairs of words in two languages or dialects (or letters in two alphabets) that look and/or sound similar, but differ in meaning.False cognates, by contrast, are similar words in different languages that appear to … Wikipedia
False cognate — False cognates are pairs of words in the same or different languages that are similar in form and meaning but have different roots. That is, they appear to be or are sometimes considered cognates when in fact they are not. Note that even false… … Wikipedia
false arrest — false′ arrest′ n. law an arrest that is unauthorized by law • Etymology: 1925–30 … From formal English to slang
false imprisonment — false′ impris′onment n. law the unlawful restraint of a person from exercising the right to freedom of movement • Etymology: 1760–70 … From formal English to slang
false miterwort — false′ mi′terwort n. pln foamflower • Etymology: 1865–70 … From formal English to slang
false pregnancy — false′ preg′nancy n. psi med vet the appearance of physiological signs of pregnancy without conception; pseudocyesis • Etymology: 1880–85 … From formal English to slang
