[Lexicog] A folk-etymology

[Michael Nicholas]

Dear Rudy,
   Parabrisas is "windscreen" in Spanish as spoken here in Spain. I imagine if you were asked to define "parasol" the answer would involve something like "to ward off the rays, light, heat of the sun"

rtroike at email.arizona.edu escribió:
  
Someone a few days ago (pardon, I've forgotten who) mentioned the Spanish
word "paracaidas" ("parachute"), and etymologized the "para" as the
preposition meaning "for" ("caida" is "fall"), citing "paraguas" ("umbrella")
as a parallel ("for water").

I had always folk-etymologized the "para" part the same way myself, and just
happened to learn from a student recently that it is actually the verb
"parar" ("to stop, prevent, hinder"). Checking the online OED for "parachute",
I found that the "para" part here is from the same source, and the "chute" is
cognate with the Spanish "caida".

      Live and learn,

      Rudy Troike





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