Names for Names When my brother and I were little, our parents used to joke that if one of us had

been a girl, they could have named us Chris and Alice, so that we would be "Chris and Alice Chrisomalis". Fortunately for all concerned, they did not do so, because names are very powerful things (here are some more of my thoughts on the subject). Anyway, this short and probably incomplete list defines about 40 words relating to names. These words contain the root "nym", which comes from the Greek onoma, a name. Word acronym allonym ananym anonym antonym aptronym autonym caconym cohyponym cryptonym dionym eponym euonym euonymous euphonym exonym heteronym homonym hypernym hyponym Definition word formed from initial letters of another word other person's name used by an author name written backward; often used as synonym person whose name is not given; pseudonym word whose meaning is the opposite of a given word name that suits its owner a writer's real name; work published under writer's own name wrongly derived name word which is one of multiple hyponyms of another word secret name name containing two parts or terms personal name from which another name is derived a pleasing or beautiful name appropriately named euphonious synonym name for a town or country in a foreign language word having same spelling but different sound and meaning words having the same sound but different meanings word representing a class of words or things term which is a member of a larger class

isonym meronym metonymy metronymy onymous paedonymi c paranym paronym patronym poecilonym polyonym pseudonym retronym synonym tautonym teknonymy toponym trionym

word having the same derivation or form as another word whose relation to another is a part to the whole figurative use of word to name an attribute of its subject system of naming after the mother's or female line bearing the authors name name taken from one's child euphemism; word whose meaning altered to conceal evasion word from same root or having same sound as another name derived from father's name synonym name consisting of several words fictitious name used by an author new name as modification of older term used alone word whose meaning is the same as another word taxonomic name in which genus and species are the same the naming of the parent from the child place name derived from geographical feature name consisting of three words