folk etymology
noun language specialized uk/ˌfəʊk ˌet.ɪˈmɒl.ə.dʒi/ us/ˌfoʊk ˌet̬.ɪˈmɑː.lə.dʒi/
[ C ]通俗词源，民间词源
an explanation for the origin of a word that is believed to be true, but is, in fact, wrong
Brooke's derivation of machete from Spanish "macho" (="male") is a folk etymology: the two words are unconnected. 布鲁克把弯刀（machete）解释为源自西班牙语的男性（macho），这便是典型的民间词源解释，两个词其实没有任何关系。
[ U ]词的通俗变化
the process in which a word is changed to become more like a more familiar word