ABOUT SOME -NYMS
Acronym
An acronym of other words.
UNESCO can be pronounced as a word by itself. It stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
ANZAC is a common word in Australia and New Zealand. It is an acronym of the main letters in Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. It is sometimes printed as Anzac.
Radar is a common word. It is an acronym, too. It comes from the phrase radio detecting and ranging.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation gives rise to ABC. This cannot be pronounced as a word by itself, but only as the three letters ‘Ay Bee See’. It is called an initialism. Other initialisms are USA, UK and PNG (Papua New Guinea).
Eponym
An eponym is a name derived from the name of a person. The word was coined in the 19th century from Greek eponumos, giving a significant name. Here are a few examples:
boycott From Captain Charles C.Boycott (1832–1897), an Irish land agent who charged very high rents. Tenants refused to pay, and cut off his mail, food and other deliveries.
cardigan James Thomas Cardigan (1797–1868), the 7th Earl of Cardigan. He may have popularised the knitted woollen jacket even though he did not invent it.
diesel From Rudolf Diesel (1858–1913), who invented the diesel engine.
leotard Named after Jules Leotard, a 19th century French aerial gymnast.
salmonella poisoning Nothing to do with salmon! It was first identified by Daniel Elmer Salmon (1850–1914).
sandwich Popularised by John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718–92), who liked quick snacks while he was at the gaming table.
saxophone Invented by Antoine Joseph Sax (1814–1894).
Some others: biro, boysenberry, epicure, hoover, jovial, macadamia, nicotine, shrapnel, silhouette, teddy bear, volt. Look them up to get the full story behind them.
Homonyms & homophones
Because English words come from many sources, some of them look similar to other words. Some even look exactly the same or are pronounced the same way.
Words which sound alike are called homophones. Words which sound and perhaps look alike but have different meanings are called homonyms. Here are a few examples from a list Have a browse, and then add your own examples!
(There could be slight differences in pronunciation, depending on where you live.)
alter to change
altar an altar can be found in some churches.
ashore to the shore, towards land. The boat pulled ashore.
assure I assure you that everything is OK.
ate Past tense of ‘eat'. At dinner, she ate all her food.
eight 8.
bail 1. Some people who appear in court are released on bail. 2. A bail is a small wooden piece on top of cricket stumps. Check your dictionary for different meanings.
bale 1. Verb. He baled out of the aircraft = he jumped out. 2. Noun. Bundle. The farmer had a bale of hay. Check your dictionary for other meanings.
bean a type of seed you can eat. We buy baked beans in cans.
been Where have you been? I have been to Darwin.
blew Verb, past tense of ‘to blow’. The wind blew strongly.
blue a colour; the colour of the sky.
bore 1. Verb. To make a hole by drilling or digging. 2. Noun. A person who talks so much that you get tired. 3. bore is also the past tense of `bear' = carry.
boar a male pig.
council We pay rates to the City Council.
counsel Verb. To advise, to offer help.
caught Past tense of ‘catch'. She caught the ball.
court 1. Noun, place where a judge sits and cases are heard. She was tried in court. 2. Noun, a place where games are played. A tennis court. 3. Verb, to seek someone's favours. He courted the girl.
currant a dried grape, used in making cakes.
current flow of electric power or of water.
floor We walk on the floor.
flaw fault. There is a flaw in this vase. It is cracked.
hair Hair grows on your head.
hare A hare looks like a rabbit. (You could create an interesting scenario based on a misunderstanding of the difference!)
law A criminal breaks the law.
lore traditional knowledge or belief. According to popular lore, you should not walk under a ladder. It will bring you bad luck.
malt Malt is made from barley, and used in making drinks.
moult When a bird moults, it loses it feathers. Molt in the USA.
meat Let's eat the meat for our dinner.
meet Let's meet at your house for dinner.
mete Verb. To measure or ration out.
miner someone who digs underground.
minor 1. Smaller or less important. 2. A child.
mynah A type of bird.
past The time is ten past nine. History is about the past.
passed The time passed quickly. We passed by the museum. (These two are sometimes confused by students.)
prize Noun, an award. He received first prize for his essay. Verb, to value something. She prized her large roses.
prise to pull apart or force open.
rain Noun. Is there any rain? Verb. It is raining heavily!
reign Noun. The Queen's reign has been a long one. Verb. Father reigned over the family like a king.
rein Noun, a strip of leather used to control a horse. Verb, figurative, to rein means to control.
right 1. correct. You are right. He is wrong. 2. a fair claim. We will fight for our rights. 3. opposite of ‘left'. She used her right hand to write. 4. right now, right away = at once, immediately.
write put words on paper with pen or pencil.
rite a ceremony, usually in a church.
saw 1. Verb, past tense of ‘see'. We saw you coming. 2. Noun, tool for cutting wood. Use a saw to cut off the branch. 3. Verb, cut (wood). Did you saw down the branch? 4. Noun, a proverb or memorable short saying.
sore 1. painful. I hurt my leg. It is sore. 2. a wound or inflamed area. He has a sore on his leg.
soar to fly high.
Go to next in Creative Writing: Lines of thought