Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
Is there a term for an etymological rolling-back of the clock?
“22 Feb 2010 … The club plays its home games in the Stade Chaban Delmas, but was rechristianed later taking the name of the former mayor of Bordeaux, ...
In 1960 the town was rechristianed “Lake Oswego” as it annexed part of neighboring Lake Grove.
The Contessa Pirahna has taken over the Miss Capitol City USofA Pageant and rechristianed it”
It’s an odd kind of hyper-correction, hearing /krissen/ recognising its root and leaving out “christen” to go back to its origins. Not well expressed but I hope you get my meaning.
Or is a spellchecker at work?
On the plain in Spain where it mainly rains.
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I don’t think this is a spellchecker at work, it looks like an interesting resurrection of the original meaning (explicitation?).
Christenings are generally regarded fondly in English, when in Québec it can mean to hang a licking on someone. There’s an excellent account of the power of religious icons in Québec street fighting (for example) here, along with the Québecois adoption of strong, body-function words from English as mild oaths.
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The transformation to “christianing” may come via “Christian name” (i.e., first name, the name given at baptism or christening). If so, I’d call it an eggcorn.
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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