The Onomyicon

The Onomyicon
Craig Trim, 2013
Creative Commons License

Acronym
 A pronounceable word formed
from other words using the highest letter (the
beginning) of each word.
κροςἄ1777
sub-class of onoma
alternate spellings accronym, actonym, ancronym, achronym, akronym

Anacronym
An acronym that has linguistically taken
on an identity as a regular word.
– Portmanteau of anachronism and acronym
νάἀ + κροςἄ
sub-class of acronym
?

Andronym
 A male name adopted by a woman.
– The name of the husband, taken on by the wife.
 A man's name or a word derived from a
man's name.
 Example:
– "Martha Dandridge" married "Daniel Park Custis" and became
"Martha Custis", then later married "George Washington" and
became "Martha Washington".
νδρόςἀ1906
sub-class of anthroponym
related to patronym

Anepronym
 A trademarked brand name now used generically,
such as aspirin or kleenex.
 A trademark term so well established that it is used
to define other objects that share its own definition
 A portmanteau of anacronym and eponym.
νάἀ + πίἐ
sub-class of eponym, anacronym
?

Patronym
 Personal name based on father's name.
 Example:
– The commonest suffix is "-son" or simply "-s". Gaelic Macpherson
thus means "son of the parson" and corresponds to English
Parsons.
– Robertson = Robert’s son
pater-
1800

Antagonym
 A word that has two opposing meanings.
 Example:
– bound can mean “bound for Chicago, moving” or “tied up, unable
to move”.
ντί + ?ἀ
sub-class of antonym, homonym
equivalent to autoantonym, contranym
?

Antonym
 A word which has the opposite meaning of another,
although not necessarily in all its senses.
 Example:
– "antonym" is an antonym of synonym.
ντίἀ
sub-class of onoma
alternate term counterterm
1809

Anthroponym
νθρωποςἄ
 The name of a person.
 Example:
 "Joe" for "Joseph"
1957
sub-class of bionym

Autonym
α τόςὐ
 An automatically created name
 Typical of Biological nomenclature.
 The name used by people to refer to
themselves or their language
 Synonymous with endonym.
 The true name of an author disclosed by
resolving a pseudonym.
1854
sub-class of bionym
related to (narrower) endonym

Anthroparonym
 A person-name that has altered slightly in form from
an earlier or traditional form.
 Examples:
– Llewelyn <- Llywelyn
– Marian <- Marion
– Clare <- Clara
νθρωπος + παραἄ
sub-class of anthroponym, paronym
alternate spelling paroanthroponym
?

Anthroponumeronym
 A phrase that consists of a combination of numbers
and letters, or numbers only, and refers to a person.
 Example:
– We think Number 6 is John Drake
? + νθρωποςἄ
sub-class of numeronym, anthroponym
alternate spelling numeroanthroponym
?

Anthrotautonym
 A binomial person-name consisting of the same
word twice.
 Examples:
– Robert Robertson
– Ivan Ivanovich
νθρωπος + τα τόἄ ὐ
sub-class of anthroponym, tautonym
alternate spelling tautoanthroponym
?

Apronym
 An appropriate acronym.
 Example:
– FIAT = Fix it again tomorrow
– PLATO for "Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching" alluding
to Plato, the philosopher and teacher, as an apronym.
a propos (Fr.)2003
sub-class of acronym

Aptonym
 A proper name that aptly describes the occupation
or character of the person, especially by
coincidence.
 Examples:
– The Shadow
apt-
alternate spelling aptronym, related euonym, charactonym, apronym
1920

Charactonym
 A name given to a fictional character that suggests
that character's traits.
 Example:
– Gradgrind and M'Choakumchild, two unpleasant educators in the
novel Hard Times, by Charles Dickens.
character-
related (broader) aptonym, related fictional aptonym
?

Cryptonym
 A word or name that is secretly used to refer to a
particular person, place, activity, or thing; a code
word or name.
 A secret name (e.g. code name).
 A pseudonym or code name; esp. one given to a spy
or to a clandestine operation.
 Example:
– The Shadow
character-
alternate spelling cryptonym
1862

Factual Aptonym
 An aptronym that names a real person.
 Example:
– Larry Speakes was a Reagan-administration spokesman.
factual + apt-
sub-class of aptonym
?

Fictional Aptonym
 An aptronym that names a fictional character.
 Example:
– Pussy Galore, the name of the crime boss in the James Bond
movie Goldfinger.
fictional + apt-
?

Astionym
 The name of a town.
?
sub-class of oikonym
?

Astronym
 a name of a star, or constellation, or other heavenly
body.
 Example:
– Orion
στρονἄ
sub-class of onoma
?

Autoantonym
 A word or phrase which contradicts itself
– Two distinct meanings which are opposite.
– Such words are sometimes called "Janus words",
after the two-headed Roman god
 Example:
– "cleave" means “come together” or “split apart”.
α τόςὐ + ντίἀ
sub-class of homonym, antonym
equivalent to antagonym, contranym, alternate spelling autantonym
1960

Autoglossonym
 The name of a language in that language.
 Example:
– Nederlands is the autoglossonym of Dutch.
α τός + γλ σσαὐ ῶ
sub-class of autonym, glossonym
equivalent to endonym
?

Bionym
 A name of a living thing.
βίος
sub-class of onoma
2013

Binary Antonym
 Pairs of antonyms that have the all-or-nothing
property that to deny one member of the pair is
equivalent to affirming the other.
 Example:
– True and False are binary antonyms because to deny that something is
true amounts to affirming it is false (and vice versa).
binary + ντίἀ
sub-class of antonym
2006

Backronym
 A reverse acronym: a regular word that also doubles
as an acronym.
 Example:
– FIAT = Fix It Again Tomorrow
1983
sub-class of apronym
back-

Basionym
 A specific name that has priority over other
names given to the same plant.
– The preferred label (SKOS terminology)
 Example:
– Pinus Abies
βάσις
sub-class of bionym, synonym
1955

Basionym
 A base name or epithet that has priority over
other names given to the same plant.
 An earlier valid scientific name of a species
that has since been renamed and from which
the new name is partially derived.
Βάσις-
sub-class of bionym, synonym
alternate spelling basonym
1952

Contrived Acronym
 An acronym deliberately designed to be an apt
name for the thing being named.
sub-class of backronym
1972

Contranym
 A word that has two contrary meanings.
 Example:
– Cleave can mean “come together” or “split apart”.
contra-
sub-class of homonym, antonym
equilvalent to antagonym, autoantonym
1962

Comonym
 The name of a village, or small town, or
borough.
?
sub-class of oikonym
related to urbanym
?

Caconym
 A taxonomic name objectionable for linguistic
reasons
 A misnomer
κακός
sub-class of ononym
related to inaptonym
1889

Chrematonym
 The name of a thing that one uses or needs.
– Proper names of artefacts.
– Can also have a broader meaning than just
product or a brand (i.e. proper names of social
events, institutions, organisations…).
χρ μαῆ
sub-class of taxonym
?

Capitonym
 A word that changes sound and meaning when the
case is changed.
 Examples:
– A turkey may march in Turkey in May or March!
– Do Polish police polish the lice?
capitālis-
sub-class of homonym
?

Chrononym
A term for a specific period of time.
 Example:
– Second quarter of next year …
χρόνος
sub-class of ononym
1979

Consonym
Two (or more) words that have the
same pattern of consonants.
 Example:
– sponge and espionage.
consonant-
sub-class of ononym
1979

Demonym
δ μοςῆ
 A name for the people derived from the name of the
locality.
 Examples:
 the demonym for a resident of Britain is Briton.
 the most common English language demonym for the people of
the Netherlands is Dutch.
1988
sub-class of ethnonym, taxonym
related to (broader) toponym, related to metonym, endonym, exonym, xenonym

Deonym
deus-
 A name of God.
 The name of a god.
?
sub-class of bionym
equivalent to theonym

Euonym
 A good name that was well chosen.
 A name that conforms to the requirements of a
particular system of nomenclature.
eὖ
sub-class of onoma
related (narrower) to aptonym, aptronym, hypocoronym
1889

Episonym
 They are words in which capitalization
changes the pronunciation of the word.
 Example:
– Polish, polish
epi + σος-ἴ
sub-class of isonym
?

Ethnonyms
 Endonym
 Ethnotoponym
 Exonym
 Politoenthonym
 Xeonym

Ethnonym
 The name of an ethnic group.
 A proper name by which a people or ethnic group is
known; spec. one which it calls itself.
 Example:
– Hellenes
θνοςἔ1894
sub-class of anthroponym, taxonym

Endonym
 An inside name
– Used by a group of people to refer to themselves or their
language.
 May be different than the name given to them by
other groups (outside name).
 Example:
– Germans refer to themselves as Deutschen.
νδον-ἔ1970
sub-class of ethnonym
related to autonym, equivalent to autoglossonym

Pseudonym
 A fictitious name.
 Example:
– "George Eliot" was really "Mary Anne Evans“.
?1524
related to autonym, anonym, alternate spelling pesudonym, psendonym, pseydonym, psudonym,

Allonym
 A work published under a name that is not that of the
author.
 The name of a person, usually a historical person,
assumed by a writer.
 Example:
– "Joe" for "Joseph"
allos-1873
sub-class of pseudonym
related (broader) anonym

Anonym
 An assumed or false name.
 Example:
– "George Eliot" was really "Mary Anne Evans“.
?1711
sub-class of pseudonym
related (narrower) allonym

Eponyms
 Anepronym
 Reverse Eponym

Ergonym
 The name of a group of people united to
carry out some specific function.
 Sometimes used for the name of an
institution or commercial firm.
 Examples:
– Brooklyn Dodgers, Los Angeles Dodgers
ργονἔ
sub-class of chrematonym, toponym
?

Eponym
 One ‘whose name is a synonym for’ something.
– The name of a real or fictitious person whose name has, or is
thought to have, given rise to the name of a particular item.
 Example:
– David Copperfield is the eponym (eponymous character) of the
novel “David Copperfield”.
πώἐ1831
sub-class of chrematonym
related to (broader) metonym, alternate spelling eponymus, namegiver

Endotoponym
 An inside place name
– Used by a group of people to refer to the place they live
νδον + τόποςἔ2013
sub-class of endonym

Exonym
 An outside name
– An ethnic name given to a group of people by foreigners.
 Example:
– Cologne a xenonym for Köln.
ξωἔ1970
sub-class of ethnonym
related to (broader) xenonym

Exotoponym
 An outside place name
– Used by foreigners to refer to a place
 May be different than the name given to
them by other groups (outside name).
ξω + τόποςἔ2013
sub-class of endonym, toponym

Geonym
 A name of a geographical feature.
 Examples:
– Bitterroot Range, Black Hills, Death Valley, Great Sand
Dunes, etc.
γῆ
sub-class of onoma
related to toponym
?

Glossonym
 The name of a language.
 Example:
– "English" can be said to predate "England".
γλ σσα-ῶ
sub-class of onoma
alternate spelling glossnym, glottonym
?

Gradable Antonym
 A term that denotes one end of a scale while the
other term denotes the other end, such as long and
short.
 Example:
– As small and big form part of a continuum, you can say that
something is smaller or bigger.
gradable + ντίἀ
sub-class of antonym
alternate term polar antonym
2008

Hodonym
 A name of a street, road or way.
δόςὁ
sub-class of urbanym
alternate spelling odonym
?

Hypernym
 A superordinate term.
 A word that is more generic than a given
word.
πέρ-ὑ1961
sub-class of onoma
alternate spelling hyperonym

Hypocoronym
 Colloquial, usually unofficial, name of an
entity; a pet-name or nickname.
 To play the child, use terms of endearment.
 Example:
– Robert → Rob, Robby, Bert, Bob, Bobert, Bobby
πό + κόρος-ὑ1850
sub-class of onoma
related (broader) euonym, related apronym, aptronym

Hyponym
 A subordinate term.
 A word that is more specific than a given
word.
πό-ὑ1904
sub-class of onoma
related to hyperonym

Heteronym
 A word having the same spelling as another, but a
different sound and meaning.
 Example:
– desert and dessert.
τερος-ἕ
sub-class of onoma
1871

Hieronym
 A name derived from myth or religion.
 Example:
– Saint Brendan’s Superior irish cream liqueur.
ερώς-Ἱ
sub-class of onoma
?

Hydronym
 The proper name of any body of water.
δρο-ὑ
sub-class of geonym, toponym
1963

Holonym
 A term that denotes a whole whose part is denoted
by another term.
 Example:
– Apple tree is a holonym of apple.
λος-ὅ
sub-class of onoma
1980

Homonym
 A word that both sounds and is spelled the same as
another word but has a different meaning.
 Example:
– A turkey may march in Turkey in May or March!
μός-ὁ
sub-class of onoma
related to paronym, synonym
1697

Internym
 A phrase or epithet inserted between one's
first and last names.
– In particular, a phrase intended to be witty and
inserted in quotation marks
 Example:
– Rene "this is not an internym" Magritte
inter-1997
sub-class of onoma

Isonym
 A word having the same root or stem as
another.
 A heterophonic homograph*
– *Having a different sound with the same spelling
 Examples:
– console, content, contract
σος-ἴ
sub-class of onoma
related to paronym
?

Inaptonym
 An ironic aptronym.
 Example:
– The former Archbishop of Manila, Jaime L. Sin known as “Cardinal
Sin”.
inept-
related to caconym
2006

Meronym
 A word denoting an object which forms part
of another object.
μέρος-
sub-class of isonym
equivalent to partonym
1846

Metonym
 To identify an entire object from a single
characteristic (of the same or a related
object).
 “The White House” is a metonym for
“presidential administration”
μέρος
sub-class of onoma
related demonym, related (narrower) eponym
1622

Metronym
 The name of someone's mother.
 A surname based on the mother's name.
 Example:
– Megson = Meg's son
mater-
sub-class of onoma
equivalent to matronym
1904

Mononym
 A single name by which an entity is known.
μόνος
sub-class of onoma
equilvalent to uninym
1866

Monoanthroponym
 A single name by which a person is known.
μόνος + νθρωποςἄ
sub-class of mononym, anthroponym
equivalent to uninym
?

Necronym
 A reference to, or name of, a person who has
died.
?
?

Monotoponym
 A single name by which a place is known.
μόνος + τόπος
sub-class of mononym, toponym
?

Numerodonym
 A numeric name of a street or road.
 Example:
– 39th
Street
?
sub-class of hodonym, numeronym
?

Numeronym
 A phrase that consists of a combination of
numbers and letters, or numbers only.
 i18n
?
sub-class of onoma
?

Oikonym
 The name of any settlement, including a
town or a village.
?
sub-class of toponym
alternate term econym
?

Oronym
 Place name for any form of terrestial relief
– Includes mountains, hills, ranges, chains, plateaus, plains,
valleys, etc.
 Examples:
– Bitterroot Range, Black Hills, Death Valley, Great
Sand Dunes, etc.
opός
sub-class of geonym, toponym
1972

Paronym
 A name that has altered slightly in form from
an earlier or traditional form.
 A word derived along side the same root, or
with the same sound, as another word.
παρα
sub-class of onoma
1829

Partonym
 A term that denotes a part of the whole that
is denoted by another term.
part-
sub-class of onoma
equilvalent to meronym
?

Polyanthroponym
 A person that has many names.
 Example:
– Sir Patrick Barnabas Burke Mayhew.
πολυ + νθρωποςἄ
sub-class of polynym, anthroponym
?

Polynym
 An entity that has many names.
πολυ
sub-class of onoma
?

Polytoponym
 A place that has many names.
πολυ + τόπος
sub-class of polynym, toponym
?

Phytonym
 The name of a plant.
– Most phytonyms are of trees, the largest and
longest-living plants.
 Examples:
– General Sherman, Knightwood Oak, Methuselah.
υτόνϕ
sub-class of bionym
?

Politonym
 Indicates the name originated from a political
affiliation.
 Example:
– a Republican, a Democrat …
πολιτικά2013

Politoethnonym
 Indicates the nation name originated from a
political affiliation.
 Example:
– The inhabitants of Belgium are Belgians.
πολιτικά + θνοςἔ2013
sub-class of ethnonym, politonym

Proper Isonym
 A word having the same root or stem as
another.
sub-class of isonym
?

Protonym
 The first of a certain name.
– From which another takes its name.
 The first name for a new species.
– Which may not be officially recognized.
πρωτο
sub-class of taxonym
1880

Prototoponym
 The first place of a certain name.
– From which other places have their names derived.
 Example:
– A name may pass through various categories before finally
reaching its protonym. Thus "New York" has the protonym "York"
(England), but through the direct intermediary of the titulonym York
of "James, Duke of York".
πρωτο + τόπος
sub-class of toponym, protonym
2013

Protoanthroponym
 The first person of a certain name.
– From which other takes their names.
 Example:
– The name “adam” can refer to both the first individual person, as
well as to the general creation of humankind.
πρωτο + νθρωποςἄ
sub-class of anthroponym, protonym
2013

Quasisonym
 Quasi-isonyms are words in which there is a
punctuation mark of some type.
 pate and pate'
quasi + σοςἴ
sub-class of isonym
?

Retronym
 A word coined for an object whose original
name is no longer unique.
retro-
sub-class of onoma
1980

Reverse Eponym
 An etiological myth can be a "reverse
eponym" in the sense that a legendary
character is invented in order to explain a
term.
 Example:
– The nymph Pirene, who according to myth was turned into Pirene's
Fountain.
sub-class of eponym, pseudonym
?

Tekonym
 Personal name based on first child's name.
 Example:
– Shelia's Father = Pak Sheila.
1931 ?

Synonym
 A word similar to another word.
σύν
sub-class of onoma
related to homonym, alternate spelling sinonym, sinonymes, svnonym, symonym
1643

Topoparonym
τόπος + παρα
 A place name that has altered slightly in form
from an earlier or traditional form.
sub-class of paronym, toponym
?

Theonym
θεός
 A name of God.
 The name of a god.
1948
sub-class of bionym
equivalent to deonym

Tautonym
 A binomial name consisting of the same
word twice.
τα τόὐ
sub-class of onoma
1904

Toponym
τόπος-
 A place name.
1850
sub-class of onoma
related Geonym, related (narrower) Demonym

Toponyms
 Ergonym
 Hydronym
 Microtoponym
 Monotoponym
 Oikonym
– Astionym
– Comonym
 Oronym
 Polytoponym
 Prototoponym
 Tautotoponym
 Topoanthroponym
 Topoaronym
 Urbanym
– Odonym
 Numerodonym

Taxonyms
 Chrematonym
 Demonym
 Eponym
 Ethnonym
 Protonym

Taxonym
 A name used for classification or
identification purposes.
τάξις
sub-class of bionym
?

Tautotoponym
 A binomial place-name consisting of the
same word twice.
τα τό + τόποςὐ
sub-class of tautonym, toponym
?

Anthrotoponym
 The name of a person derived from a place.
 Example:
– Leewood
νθρωποςἄ + τόπος
sub-class of anthroponym, toponym
equivalent to demonym
?

Topoparonym
 The name of a place that has altered slightly
in form from an earlier (or traditional) form.
τόπος + παρα
sub-class of toponym, paronym
alternate spelling parotoponym
?

Topoanthroponym
 The name of a place derived from a person.
τόπος + νθρωποςἄ
sub-class of anthroponym, toponym
equivalent to demonym
?

Textonym
 Any of a set of words that share the same
numeric combination as another when typed
using on a mobile phone that uses predictive
text.
 A word that is generated by a single
sequence of numerals keyed in to a mobile
telephone.
?
sub-class of onoma
?

Theronym
 A (product) name derived from the name of
an animal.
?
sub-class of onoma
?

Troponym
 A verb that indicates more precisely the
manner of doing something
– Relative to a verb of a more generalized meaning.
 Example:
– “to stroll” is more precise than “to walk”
τρόπος
sub-class of onoma
?

Uninym
 A single name by which a person or thing is
known.
 Examples:
– Plato, Madonna
– There is no synonym for thesaurus, therefore
thesaurus is a uninym.
uni-
sub-class of onoma
equivalent to mononym, monoanthroponym
?

Urbanym
 An urban place name.
urbānus-
sub-class of toponym
related to comonym
?

Xenonym
 A name given to a foreign people or language or city
by outsiders.
– This name is not used by the natives themselves.
 Example:
– Cologne a xenonym for Köln.
ξένος
sub-class of ethnonym, glossonym
related to (narrower) exonym
?

Zoonym
 A name of an animal.
ζ ονῷ
sub-class of onoma
equivalent to mononym
?

The Onomyicon

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