1848, Algernon Herbert [intr., notat.] in Leabhar Breathnach Annso Sis: The Irish Version of the Historia Britonum of Nennius (Dublin: Printed for the Irish Archæological Society), additional notes, pages x⁽¹⁾ and xxxix⁽²⁾
⁽¹⁾ The whole mention of Spain in that legend is etymological, and was meant to unite the two names, so slightly dissimilar, and sometimes (as Mr. O’Flaherty observes) confounded, of Iberus and Ibernus; as the mention of Scythia is also an etymologism for Scot.
⁽²⁾ Nor is this deficient in verbal harmony with the common legend that they came from Scythia, i.e. from the land of the Scuit, for Scuit Fichti, Mileadh Fichti, and Gwyddyl Fichti, would all be synonymous; and the story of the Cruithnich from Scythia is just such another frigid etymologism, as that of the Scuit from Scythia.
The literary section — whose members in the course of years counted V. Alecsandri, Timotei Cipariu, Titu Maiorescu, B. P. Hașdeu, M. Sadoveanu, Liviu Rebreanu — resumed the task of improving the orthography, eliminating the etymologism, and of publishing a great historical dictionary of the Romanian language.
1971, The World of Translation: Papers delivered at the Conference on Literary Translation held in New York City in May 1970 under the auspices of P.E.N. American Center (2nd ed.), page 260
He must not be copied, and one would hope his popular etymologism will never be imitated.
1973, Germano-Slavica (University of Waterloo Department of Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures), volume 1, issues 1–4, page 29, note 40
Schwarz, p. 38, cf. Heselhaus, p. 430. Neuman, op. cit., p. 27, speaks of Celan’s atomizing words (“Wortzersplitterung”, etymologism, regression, etc.).
1975, André Lefevere, Translating Poetry: Seven Strategies and a Blueprint (Van Gorcum; →ISBN, 9789023212638), pages 38,⁽¹⁾ 44,⁽²⁾ 95,⁽³⁾ and 110⁽⁴⁾
⁽¹⁾ There is also the trusted twin device already encountered in the practice of literal translators: the use of both archaisms and “etymologisms”.
⁽²⁾ Second, one can fall back on etymologisms which are, within the semantic orbit of the original, perhaps closest to the source text.
⁽³⁾ The distortion takes place on various levels: [¶…¶] – distortion of both sense and communicative value: excessive use of archaisms, etymologisms, circumlocutions, ready-made utterances, and tautologies.
⁽⁴⁾ Brodie’s translator destroys this balance by using a word with a communicative value inadequate to the situation, the etymologism “perfidious” in “Is it thus, perfidious, that thou has left me, borne away from my native shores, left me, perfidious Theseus?”
