|
What's it Called When We Get a Word from a Person's Name?
© Barb Alexander
Dec 13, 2001
The word eponym comes from the Greek eponumos ("named after").
There are plenty of words in our language that derive from a person's name. Here's a sampling:
- August - Augustus Caesar
- bobby (British policeman) - Robert Peel, founder of London's first police force
- boycott - Charles C. Boycott, Irish landlord
- cardigan - James Thomas Brudenell, the 7th Earl of Cardigan
- chauvinist - Nicolas Chauvin, French soldier
- decibel - Alexander Graham Bell
- guy - Guy Fawkes, leader of the failed plot to assassinate England's James I in 1605
- January - Janus, two-faced Roman god
- July - Julius Caesar
- leotard - Jules Leotard
- pasturization - Louis Pasteur
- pompadour (the hairstyle)- Madame Pompadour
- sadism - The Marquis de Sade (have you seen the movie Quills?)
- sandwich - John Montagu, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich
- salmonella - Daniel Salmon, American veterinarian
- silhouette - Etienne de Silhouette
- sousaphone - John Philip Sousa
- spoonerism - William A. Spooner
- tetrazinni - Louisa Tetrazzini, Italian opera singer
- valentine - St. Valentine, of course
Tons of medical eponyms can be found here (if you're so inclined). It contains such commonly-heard eponyms as Kaposi's sarcoma, the Apgar score, and Hodgkin's disease. A proprietary eponym is a brand name which is in common usage for that type of product. For example: - Band-Aid - plastic adhesive bandages
- Cool Whip - whipped cream topping
- Kleenex - tissues
- Q-Tips - cotton buds or cotton swabs
- Rollerblades - in-line skates
- Rolodex - rotary card file
- Saran Wrap - cling film (Britain) or food storage wrap
- Scotch tape - adhesive cellophane tape
- Tylenol - pain reliever
- Vaseline - petroleum jelly
- Walkman - personal hand-held CD/cassette player
- Xerox - photocopy
* When writing, use care not to refer to brand names unless you are in fact talking about an item with that trademarked name.
Go To Page:
1
The copyright of the article What's it Called When We Get a Word from a Person's Name? in English Grammar is owned by Janet Kay Blaylock. Permission to republish What's it Called When We Get a Word from a Person's Name? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
In response to message posted by Laughman:
You are TOO nice!!! That was such a great thing to read. Thanks a million, Mar ...
|
...this one:Barbalexander - someone who regularly produces clear, concise articles containing a tremendous amount of good advice. Happy holidays, Barb. Cheers, Martin ...
|
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to
Barb Alexander's
English Grammar topic, please visit the Discussions page.
|
