Dear Bhante,

> Sorry, I'm not much of a scholar... It's not that I'm uncomfortable with
> the
> term "folk etymology",

I have been doing a quick check on the precise meaning of "folk etymology".
It seems that the technical use of the term is not exactly what I thought it
was. The correct term for an etymology not based on philology and
morphology is actually "fake etymology", which must be even worse from your
point of view. I think it would be good to employ something like
"hermeneutical etymology" or "exegetical etymology" for this kind of
activity found throughout Buddhist commentorial literature.

> it's the disrespect for the Venerable Buddhaghosa and
> Dhammapaala implied by using the term to describe their etymologies.

And Asanga, Vasubandhu, Sthiramati, Nagarjuna, Bhavavikeka, Shantideva,
Dharmakirti, Dignaga and all the many other great Buddhist commentators to
whom I am sure you would wish to extend the same degree of respect.

Best wishes,
Stephen Hodge