Date: Tue, 4 Apr 1995 14:25:01 +0100

From: debaron[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UIUC.EDU

Subject: Re: names to nouns



Wouldn't Machiavelli and Hamburg be the eponyms of 'Machiavellian' and 'ham-

burger' rather than the latter being eponyms? I think of 'eponym' as being kin

to 'namesake' rather than to its converse, which is what we need here. Larry



True, and so eponym is always defined, but the SOD defines eponymy as "the

practice of explaining names of peoples, places, etc., by referring them to

the name of a historical or mythical person." So I would be tempted to say

that Frankenstein, in "I've created a Frankenstein," is an eponym, an

example of eponymy. Perhaps what I am naming is an eponymonym.



Dennis

--



Dennis Baron debaron[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uiuc.edu



Department of English office: 217-333-2392

University of Illinois fax: 217-333-4321

608 South Wright Street home: 217-384-1683

Urbana, Illinois 61801