Hobson-Jobson

[ hob-suhn-job-suhn ]

noun
  1. the alteration of a word or phrase borrowed from a foreign language to accord more closely with the phonological and lexical patterns of the borrowing language, as in English hoosegow from Spanish juzgado.

Origin of Hobson-Jobson

1
1625–35; Indian English rendering of Arabic yā Ḥasan, yā Husayn lament uttered during taʿziyah; an example of such an alteration

Words Nearby Hobson-Jobson

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How to use Hobson-Jobson in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hobson-jobson

hobson-jobson

/ (ˌhɒbsənˈdʒɒbsən) /


noun
  1. another word for folk etymology

Origin of hobson-jobson

1
C19: Anglo-Indian folk-etymological variant of Arabic yā Hasan! yā Husayn! O Hasan! O Husain! (ritual lament for the grandsons of Mohammed); influenced by the surnames Hobson and Jobson

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