Etymology

backronym

B3A1C3K5R1O1N1Y4M3

Today it means: A word that is originally not an acronym but is turned into one by devising a full form for it, sometimes as a folk etymology, sometimes as a contrived acronym to name a new organization, proposal, or other entity. Full definition →

English acronym ← German Akronym ← Ancient Greek ἄκρος (ákros)
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeg-der.?
  2. Proto-Germanic*baką
  3. Proto-West Germanic*bak
  4. Old Englishbæc
  5. Middle Englishbak
  6. Englishback
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱ-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₂eḱrós
  9. Proto-Hellenic[Term?]
  10. Ancient Greekἄκρος (ákros)
  11. Germanakro-
  12. GermanAkronym
  13. Englishacronym
  14. English todaybackronym

Blend of back + acronym.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.