Probably the easiest answer to ascribing this is simply the lack of knowledge about the origin of the words, so they just... fill in the gaps with whom they bel

Probably the easiest answer to ascribing this is simply the lack of knowledge about the origin of the words, so they just... fill in the gaps with whom they believe could credibly say it. Not malice, just lack of knowledge. It's also simpler to convince and expose people with things that fit easyer with their model of the world and the cliches they have in their head.