-ONYM
-ONYM. [Through LATIN from GREEK ónuma/ónoma name]. A word base or combining form that stands either for a WORD (as in SYNONYM) or a NAME (as in pseudonym). Words containing -onym have two kinds of adjective: with -ous, as in synonymous (having the nature or quality of a synonym: synonymous words) or with -ic, as in synonymic (concerning synonyms: synonymic relationships). The form -onymy indicates type, as with synonymy (the type of sense relation in which words have the same or similar meaning) and eponymy (the category of word-formation that concerns words derived from people's names). Because -onym begins with o (the commonest Greek THEMATIC VOWEL, as in biography), the base form is sometimes taken to be -nym, an assumption reinforced by the initial n of the equivalent terms nomen in Latin and name in English. As a result, some recent technical terms have been formed on -nym: for example, characternym and paranym. See ACRONYM, ANTONYM, EPONYM, HETERONYM, HOMONYM, HYPONYM, RETRONYM.
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Word , WORD
WORD A fundamental term in both the general and technical discussion of language. The following selection of primary definitions of word is draw… Astrobleme , COMBINING FORM In WORD-FORMATION, a BASE designed to combine with another, either also a combining form or a free word: bio- with -graphy to form bio… Monosyllable , MONOSYLLABLE, formerly also monosyllabon. A WORD of one SYLLABLE. ‘Native’ English is often said to be inherently monosyllabic (‘Words monosillable w… Plural , PLURAL
PLURAL A term contrasting with SINGULAR (and dual) in the NUMBER system of a language. In English, it refers to ‘more than one’ (one and a hal… Abbreviation , ABBREVIATION The shortening of words and phrases (kilogram to kg, Imperial Chemical Industries to ICI) and a result of such shortening (MA for Master… ANAGRAM , anagram •am, Amsterdam, Assam, Bram, cam, cham, cheongsam, clam, cram, dam, damn, drachm, dram, exam, femme, flam, gam, glam, gram, ham, jam, jamb, l…
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-ONYM