Is "フリーマーケット" sometimes assumed to be derived from "Free"?


Is the term "フリーマーケット" sometimes assumed to be derived from, or meaning, "Free
market", as opposed to "Flea market"? (That is, having a [false
etymology](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_etymology))

There is a phrase "Free market" in English, but it has an unrelated meaning to
"Flea market". (To be fair, describing a "Flea market" as "Free" makes some
sense, as it's outdoors and vendors presumably have fewer restrictions than if
they had a store in a shopping centre)

I've come across some sites talking about this in Japanese, such as
[Wikipedia](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%9A%A4%E3%81%AE%E5%B8%82#.E3.83.95.E3.83.AA.E3.83.BC.E3.83.9E.E3.83.BC.E3.82.B1.E3.83.83.E3.83.88),
and this Japanese-language site about [Japanese
English](http://www.eieigo.com/index.php?%E3%83%95%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%9E%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B1%E3%83%83%E3%83%88%E3%80%80free%20market%20%E3%81%AF%E3%80%81%E5%92%8C%E8%A3%BD%E8%8B%B1%E8%AA%9E%EF%BC%9F),
but haven't found any info in English.




To answer the title question first, yes, it is. Roughly, I am going to say
that it happens incidentally 90% of the time and intentionally the rest of the
time.

This comes from innocent ignorance 80-90% of the time as the English word
"flea" is simply not known nearly as widely as the word "free" among the
average people. The word 「フリー」(from "free") is already very common and most of
us just never questioned our notion "フリー = free".

There is the old term that everyone knows 「[蚤]{のみ}の[市]{いち}」, which literally
means "flea market" but we just fail to make the connection between 「蚤」 and
"flea". 「蚤の市」, by the way, is the translation of its original French term "le
marché aux puces". It does not come from "flea market" in English in case that
is what you thought.

So, it was coincidental in the vast majority of cases. However, there are
times when people who are actually familiar with the English term "flea
market" use on purpose "free market" as the "spelling" for THEIR own flea
markets. This is where what OP states in his paragraph #2 comes in. I have
personally seen advertisement where "Free Market" is used in its English
spelling with an explanation saying that freedom is the key word. You can sell
anything for whatever prices you want. You can even choose to barter instead
of sell. You are free to do anything!

Finally, a word on the tricky term 「自由市場」. It has not been explained fully as
I type.

When read 「じゆうしじょう」, it means "the free market (system)" as an economics term.

When read 「じゆういちば」, it is (part of) a proper noun for a "flea market" type of
an event or place that someone is running.




To answer the title question first, yes, it is. Roughly, I am going to say
that it happens incidentally 90% of the time and intentionally the rest of the
time.

This comes from innocent ignorance 80-90% of the time as the English word
"flea" is simply not known nearly as widely as the word "free" among the
average people. The word 「フリー」(from "free") is already very common and most of
us just never questioned our notion "フリー = free".

There is the old term that everyone knows 「[蚤]{のみ}の[市]{いち}」, which literally
means "flea market" but we just fail to make the connection between 「蚤」 and
"flea". 「蚤の市」, by the way, is the translation of its original French term "le
marché aux puces". It does not come from "flea market" in English in case that
is what you thought.

So, it was coincidental in the vast majority of cases. However, there are
times when people who are actually familiar with the English term "flea
market" use on purpose "free market" as the "spelling" for THEIR own flea
markets. This is where what OP states in his paragraph #2 comes in. I have
personally seen advertisement where "Free Market" is used in its English
spelling with an explanation saying that freedom is the key word. You can sell
anything for whatever prices you want. You can even choose to barter instead
of sell. You are free to do anything!

Finally, a word on the tricky term 「自由市場」. It has not been explained fully as
I type.

When read 「じゆうしじょう」, it means "the free market (system)" as an economics term.

When read 「じゆういちば」, it is (part of) a proper noun for a "flea market" type of
an event or place that someone is running.

