folk etymology

n.
Change in the form of a word or phrase resulting from a mistaken assumption about its composition or meaning, as in shamefaced for earlier shamfast, "bound by shame," or cutlet from French côtelette, "little rib."

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is 'a popular modifying of the form of a word or phrase in order to make it seem to be derived from a more familiar word'. Examples are cockroach (from Spanish cucaracha), sparrow-grass (a dialect and colloquial name for asparagus), and hiccough (a later spelling of hiccup under the mistaken impression that the second syllable was related to cough). The term is also applied more generally to any popular but mistaken account of the origin of a word or phrase, such as Amazon (explained by the Greeks as derived from amazos 'breastless', as if from a- 'without' + mazos 'breast', referring to a fable that the Amazons cut off the right breast so as to draw a bow more easily) and posh (that it is formed from the initials of port out starboard home, referring to the more comfortable accommodation on ships formerly sailing between England and India).

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For a list of words related to folk etymology, see:

• Linguistics and Writing Systems - folk etymology: modification of word based on false assumption about its origin or irrelevant analogy with familiar word

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