hokey

the word 'hokey' is an americanism that emerged in the early 20th century. its exact origin is obscure, but the most plausible theory connects it to the earlier term 'hokum,' a theatrical slang word from the 1910s meaning 'melodramatic, sentimental nonsense,' which itself may be a blend of 'hocus-pocus' and 'bunkum.' the '-ey' suffix is a common adjectival ending in english. the semantic journey is from the literal trickery implied by 'hocus-pocus' to the figurative sense of something artificial, contrived, and excessively sentimental, capturing the idea of a cheap theatrical effect applied to emotions or plots.

this word is a simplex. it is a loanword of uncertain origin, likely formed within american english.