Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
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Chris -- 2025-05-10
Welcome to the forum, Pat. Have you seen or heard this beast in the wild? I tried to find instances on the web without success. Reservewater is apparently a legitimate word in Dutch for “spare water”.
I have seen an eggcorn based on reservoir, which is the first instance of which I’m familiar of a reshaping that is an eggcorn in two languages. A restervoir in English would be a place where water or gasoline temporarily rests, (or where the rest of the water is?). It is not common in English and could easily be a slip rather than an eggcorn. In French, it is a better eggcorn because it double-yolked there. Restervoir would mean “stay to see” or “remain to see”.
French:
Motorbike fanciers
je compte aussiacheter un bouchon de restervoir a clef car nimporte qui peux me voler mon essence
English:
Flame weeder
the fuller the restervoir the easier it is to get a really big flame
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“Restervoir” is good. In French and English. I think that’s our first hybrid poteau rose / eggcorn.
Hatching new language, one eggcorn at a time.
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