'Fanciful' etymologies (was re. dating)

[David Magier]

On May 20, 1996, Swami Gitananda wrote:

> By calling them "etymologies" we are ensuring that they will be
> inadequate, and
> therefore can qualify them as "fanciful." It would be perhaps more
>  accurate to
> find a better term for them. The best I can think of now is
> something along the
> lines of "cultural word derivations." I would be very interested
> in hearing more
> learned opinions than my own on this.

The term "folk etymology" has been used in this context, and it
needn't have any pejorative sense.

David Magier