| Word |
Meaning |
Example |
More information |
| acronym |
An abbreviation formed from the first letters of a series of
words and pronounced as one word: |
radar from radio detection and
ranging, pronounced ray-dar |
click here |
| recursive acronym |
A hackish (and especially MIT) tradition is to choose
acronyms and abbreviations that refer humorously to themselves or to other acronyms or
abbreviations. |
The classic examples were two MIT editors called EINE ("EINE Is Not Emacs") and ZWEI ("ZWEI Was EINE
Initially"). |
click here |
| allonym |
an assumed name; the name of another person, especially that of a
significant historical figure,
assumed by somebody, especially a writer |
|
|
| ananym |
name written backwards |
Rellim is a ananym of Miller |
|
| anonym |
another word for pseudonym |
|
|
| antenym |
?? |
|
|
| antonym |
a word of opposite meaning |
cold <> warm |
|
direct antonym
|
antonyms that are commonly associated |
e.g., `wet' and `dry') |
|
| anatonym |
An anatonym refers to a part of the body that is used as a verb |
"to toe the line" "to face the music". "to
eye the target" |
|
| antagonym |
a single word that has meanings that contradict each other |
"bad" for "good" |
click here
|
| anthroponym |
a personal name |
|
click here |
| aptronym |
A name that matches its owner's
occupation or character, often in a humorous or ironic way |
e.g. Miss Sue Lawyer, the attorney |
click here |
| aristonym |
A surname used as, or derived from, a formal title of nobility |
e.g. Thomas Harold Andre Le Duc |
|
| autonym |
1. A person's own name. 2. A book published under the real name of
the author.
|
|
click here |
| backronym or bacronym |
A word interpreted as an acronym that was not originally so intended. This
is a special case of what linguists call `back formation' |
e.g. BASIC, mung |
click
here (1) click here (2) |
| caconym |
wrongly derived name |
|
|
| capitonym |
a word that changes
pronunciation and meaning when it is
capitalized |
reading (pronounced "reed-ing") <> Reading ( a city in
Pennsylvania which is pronounced "red-ing) |
|
| charactonym |
the name of a literary
character that is especially suited to his or her personality. |
e.g. "scrooge" for a miserly person, "sherlock holmes"
for a detective |
click here |
| cohyponym |
word which is one of multiple hyponyms of another word |
|
|
| consonym |
|
|
|
| contronym |
a word which is its own opposite |
overlook |
|
| cryptonym |
a secret name |
|
|
| demonym |
Place name-based label that describes a resident of a particular
city, territory, or country.
|
Cypriot is a person from Cyprus Hoyas is a nickname for students from
Georgetown University in Washington, DC. |
click
here for country demonyms article: Mysterious Monikers
book: Labels for Locals
book: What's in a Name
state names
names for USA citizens |
| dionym |
name containing two parts or terms |
|
|
| domunym |
|
|
|
| eponym |
a person from whose name a word is derived |
cardigan (sweater) for Lord Cardigan |
click
here |
| ethonym |
The name of a people or ethnic group. |
e.g. Albanians |
|
| euonym |
a good name or a name well suited to the person, place, or thing named |
|
|
| euphonym |
a euphonious synonym |
|
|
| exonym |
foreigner's version of placename |
England in French is angleterre |
click
here |
| heteronym (hertograph) |
A word that is spelt the same as another,
but has a different meaning and often pronunciation. A heteronym that is spelt the same as
another word and has a different pronunciation is a heterophone. (e.g.
(2) and (3)) |
minute (60 seconds) <> minute (very small); (1) bow (front of a
ship) <> (2) bow (to bend at waist) <> (3) bow (used with an arrow) |
click here |
| holonym |
a concept that has another concept as a part |
a coat is a holonym of a sleeve |
opposite is meronym |
| hiernym |
A surname based on a sacred name |
e.g. St. John |
|
| homonym |
One of two or more words that are identical in sound or spelling but
different in meaning. There are three kinds: (1) those that look alike and sound alike but
have different meanings (since they have different etymologies) (2) those that sound
alike but do not look a like ("homphones") (3) those that look alike but do not
sound alike ("homograph") (3) |
(1) calf (young bovine animal) <> calf (lower leg) (2) course
<> coarse
(3) lead (the verb) and lead (the metal)
(3) bow (front of a ship) <> bow (to bend at waist)
more examples |
click
here |
| hydronym |
A name for a river, lake, etc. |
e.g. Lake Champlain |
click here |
| hypernym |
'a word of general meaning applicable to more specific, related words; a
superordinate |
a dog is a hypernym of beagle, terrier |
click
here |
| hyponym |
a word of more specific meaning than,
and therefore implying or able to be replaced by, another
more general or superordinate term |
scarlet is a hyponym of red |
click
here |
| isonym |
word having the same derivation as another |
|
|
| malonym |
1) a metaphor, cliche, or popular expression
mangled by the use of an incorrect word2) ill-considered offerings by a spell checker |
Look before you leak" might have been the motto
of the Titanic's captain. |
1) click
here
2) click here |
| meronym |
one word denotes a part of another |
a sleeve is a meronym of a coat |
click
here |
| metonym |
a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that
of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated |
"the press" referring to journalists
|
click here |
| omenym |
|
|
|
| oronym |
name of a mountain |
Mount Mansfield |
|
| paranym |
a word whose meaning is altered to conceal evasion |
|
|
| paronym |
1) a word formed from a word in another language 2) a word having the
same stem as another |
chaise long <> chaise lounge beautiful and beauteous |
click
here |
| patronym |
A name derived from the name of father or an ancestor;A surname or family
name.
|
e.g. Benson (son of Ben) |
Here are a few more patronyms from other languages and cultures:
Arabic bin (bin Laden, son of Laden), bint (Bint Ahmed, daughter of Ahmed)
Hebrew ben (Ben-Gurion, son of Gurion; Ben-Hur, son of Hur)
Hindi -putra/put (Brahmaputra, son of Brahma; Rajput, son of king)
Irish and Scottish Mac/Mc- (McDonald, son of Donald)
Irish O (O'Brien, grandson/descendant of Brien)
Norman Fitz- (Fitzgerald, son of Gerald)
Russian -ich/-vich, as a middle name (Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, son of Pavlov).
Spanish -ez (Fernandez, son of Fernando; Gonzalez son of Gonzalo)
Welsh ap or p (Pritchard from ap Richard, son of Richard). |
| phytonym |
the name of a plant |
e.g. rosebush |
|
| poecilonym |
a synonym |
|
|
| polyonym |
a name consisting of several words |
|
|
| pseudonym |
a fictitious name, pen name, nom de plume |
Mark Twain <> Samuel Clements |
|
| digital pseudonym |
A pseudonym an individual can use to set up an
online account with an organization without revealing personal information |
|
|
| retronym (1) |
new words for old
things; adjective-noun
pairing formed by a change in the
meaning of the noun, usually due to
technology. |
"whole milk" instead of "milk" since there is now
"skim milk, 2% milk |
click
here (1) click here (2)
click here (3) |
| retronym (2) |
reversing the spelling of a word to create a new word |
boy <> yob |
|
| synonym |
one of two or more words or expressions of the same language that
have the same or nearly the same meaning in some or all senses |
cold <> frigid |
click
here |
| tautonym |
1) a word that has two identical parts; 2) a taxonomic binomial in which
the generic name and specific epithet
are alike |
1) e.g. tutu; tom-tom, pompom |
|
| teknonym |
naming oneself after one's offspring |
e.g. 'mother of so-and-so |
click here |
| toponym |
a place name;words derived from place names. |
"champagne" (the wine) from Champagne, France |
click
here |
| trionym |
name consisting of three words |
|
|
GLOSSARY
OF -ONYMS AS APPLIED TO BOTANICAL
NOMENCLATURE
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| Word |
Meaning |
Example |
More information |
| alieniloquy |
a talking wide of the purpose, or not to the matter at hand |
|
|
| ambigram |
a word or words that can be read in more than one way or from
more than a single vantage point, such as both right side up and upside down |
see Web sites |
www.ambigram.com |
| amphigory |
nonsense writing, usu. in verse |
|
|
| anagram |
a word, phrase, or sentence formed from another by rearranging
its letters: |
"Angel" is an anagram of "glean." |
Internet
Anagram Server |
| anadiplosis |
the repetition of a prominent (usu. last) word in one phrase
at the beginning of the next, often with extended or altered meaning |
|
|
| anaphora |
repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of
successive phrases, clauses, sentences or verses especially for rhetorical or poetic
effect |
we cannot dedicate -- we cannot cannot consecrate -- we
cannot hallow -- this ground |
|
| anastrophe |
inversion of the usual syntactical order of words for
rhetorical effect |
|
|
| anomia |
a difficulty in finding the right words or the inability to
remember names |
|
|
| anthimeria |
the substitution of one part of speech for another; typically
a noun used as a verb -- also known as (and for example) "verbing a noun" |
|
|
| apacope |
The loss of a sound or sounds at the end of a word |
oft for often |
click here |
| aphasia |
inability to use or comprehend words |
|
|
| antisthecon |
Substitution of one sound, syllable, or letter for another
within a word |
|
click here |
| babblative |
given to babbling; prattling, prating, loquacious |
|
|
| barbarism |
The use of nonstandard or foreign speech, the use of a word
awkwardly forced into a poem's meter, or unconventional pronunciation. |
quid pro quo |
click here |
| battology |
a needless repetition of words in speaking or writing |
|
|
- bibliobibuli
|
people who read too much and so are generally oblivious to the
world around them -- coined by H.L. Mencken |
|
|
- blatteroon
|
a constant talker |
|
|
| buzzword |
"a word that is fashionable and used more to impress
than to inform; in particular a word of a specialized field or group used primarily to
impress laypersons." |
mission critical |
click here |
| cacoepy |
incorrect pronunciation |
|
|
- cacoëthes loquendi
|
the irresistible urge to speak |
|
|
- cacoëthes scribendi
|
the irresistible urge to write |
|
|
| cacography |
bad handwriting; bad spelling |
|
|
| chiasmus |
a figure of speech by which the order of the terms in the
first of two parallel clauses is reversed in the second. |
"Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes
sin's a pleasure" --Byron |
chiasmus.com |
| chirospasm |
writer's cramp |
|
|
| circumbendibus |
an indirect or roundabout course, esp. in speaking or writing |
|
|
| circumfloribus |
flowery and long-winded |
|
|
- dentiloquy
|
speaking through clenched teeth |
|
|
| dilogy |
repetition of a word or phrase, in the same context |
|
|
| dysphemism |
making something sound worse |
"pigheaded" for "stubborn" |
click here |
| dystmesis |
inserting a word in the middle of another
in an unlikely or unexpected place; a form of tmesis |
|
|
| embolalia |
the use of virtually meaningless filler words, phrases, or...
stammerings in speech, whether as unconscious utterings while arranging one's
thoughts or as vacuous,inexpressive mannerism |
e.g. uh, you now, I mean |
|
| epeolatry |
the worship of words |
|
|
| epenthesis |
the insertion or development of a sound or letter in the body
of a word |
"sherbet" is pronounced "sherbert"; b in
thimble |
click here click
here(2) |
| epistrophe |
The repetition of a word or phrase at the end of successive
clauses or
sentences |
"of the people, by the people, for the people" -
Abraham Lincoln |
|
| euphemism |
a polite, tactful, or less explicit term used to avoid the
direct naming of an unpleasant, painful, or frightening reality |
"pass away" for die; "underprivileged" for
poor |
euphemism
quiz Euphemism and Dysphemism
Language Used as Shield and Weapon |
| euphuism |
artificial elegance of language |
|
|
| lexeme |
The fundamental unit of the lexicon of a language. |
|
|
| logogram |
A written symbol representing an entire spoken word without
expressing its pronunciation |
"4" read "four" in English |
Also ideogram or logograph |
- logorrhea
|
excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness |
|
|
| metaplasm |
A general term for any change or
transformation of the letters or syllables in single words, including inversions,
substitutions, additions, and omissions. |
|
click here |
| metathesis |
the transposition of letters within a word |
centre <> center |
click here |
| morpheme |
Morphemes are form/meaning pairings (where "form" =
distinctive string of sounds). Morphemes can be roots or affixes, depending on whether
they are the main part or dependent part of a word |
|
click
here |
| neologism (nonce word) |
A neologism (pronounced nee-AH-low-djism) is a newly invented
word or
termA nonce word is one coined “for the nonce”—made up for one
occasion and not likely to be encountered again. |
Netiquette is a neologism
which combines the words "net" and "etiquette |
New Words in English |
| onomastics |
the science or study of the origin and
forms of proper names of persons or places |
|
The American
Name Society Google
onomastic links
|
| oxymoron |
a figure of speech by which a locution
produces an incongruous, seemingly self-contradictory effect |
military intelligence |
click here |
| palindrome |
word or phrase that is spelled them same both
forward and backward.
|
otto |
PalindromeList.com |
| paragoge |
The development of an additional sound or sounds at the
end of a word |
the [t] of pheasant (compare French
faisan) |
click
here |
| pleonasm |
the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere
sense |
the man he said |
click
here |
| prothesis |
The addition of a letter or syllable to the beginning of a
word |
"be" - in beloved. |
|
| rhetoric |
the study of the effective use of
language, the ability to use language effectively, the art or science of all specialized
literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech. |
|
A
Glossary of Literary Terms and
A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices A Glossary of Rhetorical
Terms with Examples |
| syncope |
Cutting letters or syllables from the middle of a word |
library pronounced as libary |
click here |
| tmesis |
inserting a word in the
middle of another;separation of the parts of a compound word by one or more intervening
words |
nobloominway |
|
| Word |
Meaning |
| catachresis (n) |
1: use of the wrong word for the context
2 : use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech (as blind mouths) |
| colloquy (n) |
a high-level serious discussion |
| concordance (n) |
an alphabetical index of all the words in a text or corpus of
texts,showing every contextual occurrence of a word. |
| diffuse (adj) |
being at once verbose and ill-organized |
| exegisis (n) |
interpretation of a word |
| expatiate (v) |
to speak or write at length (used with on or upon) |
| garrulous (adj) |
pointlessly or annoyingly talkative |
| holograoh (n) |
A document written wholly in the handwriting of the person
whose signature it bears. |
| lingua franca (n) |
any language that is widely used as a
means of communication among speakers of other languages. |
| linguist (n) |
a person who is skilled in several
languages; polyglot. |
| locution (n) |
manner of speech or phrase |
| logophile (n) |
lover of words |
| loquacious (adj) |
full of excessive talk |
| malapropism (n) |
the use of a word sounding somewhat like the
one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context |
| megalophonous (adj) |
having a high voice |
| neologist (n) |
coiner of words |
| palaver (n) |
a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or
levels of sophistication |
| pauciloquent (adj) |
use as few words as possible |
| polyglot (n) |
a person who speaks, writes, or reads a
number of languages. |
| prolix (adj) |
marked by or using an excess of words;verbose, long-winded,
using too many words. |
| semiotics (n) |
the study of signs and symbols as
elements of communicative behavior; the analysis of systems of communication, as language,
gestures, or clothing click here for more... |
| sesquipedalian (n) |
someone given to using long words |
| soliloquy (n) |
the act of talking to oneself |
| reticent (adj) |
inclined to be silent or uncommunicative in speech |
| tachygraphy (n) |
shorthand; shortened cursive writing |
| taciturn (adj) |
temperamentally disinclined to talk |
| verbivore (n) |
lover of words |
| verbose (adj) |
containing more words than necessary |
