View source for Words ending -onym, -onymous, -onymy

A number of terms with the ending '''–onym''' ('''-onymous''', '''-onymy''') are used to describe words in virtue of their relationship to other words. Probably the most common term in this group is '''synonym'''. A '''synonym''' is a word which has the same (or nearly the same) meaning as another word (in the same language): thus we may say that ‘enormous’ is a '''synonym''' of ‘huge’, that these two words are '''synonyms''' or '''synonymous''', and that this example is an instance of '''synonymy'''. (For more see [[Synonym]]). The ending '''–onym''' comes from the Greek [[noun]] ὄνομα (''onoma''), ‘name’, ‘word’, while the first syllable (syn-) comes from the Greek [[preposition]] σύν (''sun'') ‘with’, ‘together’.
 
All the terms in this group resemble '''synonym''' in having forms which end '''-onymous''' and '''-onymy''' and in having their first part derived from Greek. The more common of them have their own page in AWE (see below), most are not much used outside the disciplines of grammar and linguistics, and some are not much used even within these disciplines.

Here is a list:

An  '''antonym''' – the first part comes from the Greek [[preposition]] ὰντί (''anti''), ‘opposite’ – is a word which has the opposite meaning to another word; e.g., ‘high’ is an '''antonym''' of ‘low’, the two words are '''antonyms'''. (See also [[Antonym]].)

A '''homonym''' – the first part comes from the Greek [[adjective]] ὁμός (''homos''), ‘same’ – is a word with the same spelling and/or same pronunciation as another word, but with a different meaning; e.g., the two words both spelt ‘bank’ are '''homonyms''': one means ‘institution for the safekeeping of money’ and the other ‘ground beside a river’.

An '''eponym''' – the first part comes from the Greek [[preposition]] ἐπί (''epi''), ‘on’, ‘upon’, ‘over’ – is ''either'' a name (e.g., of a place or a literary work) which derives from the name of a (real or mythical) person ''or'' the name of the person who is the original of the derived name; e.g., ‘Leningrad’ is an '''eponym''' of 'Lenin', and 'Lenin' is the '''eponym''' of 'Leningrad', Odysseus is the '''eponymous''' hero of Homer’s ''Odyssey''. (See also [[Eponym]].)

A '''metonym''' - the first part comes from the Greek preposition μετά (''meta''), ‘with’, ‘after’ - is a word which refers to an attribute of something but is used to mean the thing itself; e.g., the sentence ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ (meaning ‘Writers have more power than soldiers’) contains two examples of '''metonymy'''. (See further [[Metonymy]].)

A '''paronym''' - the first part comes from the Greek preposition παρά (''para'') ‘from’, ‘beside’, ‘near’ – is ''either'' a word derived from another word and having a related meaning to it (e.g., ‘generosity’ is a '''paronym''' of ‘generous’) ''or'' a word derived from a foreign word with only slight changes (e.g., the English word  ‘senate’ is a '''paronym''' of the Latin ''senatus'').

An '''exonym''' - the first part comes from the Greek preposition ἐκ   ἐξ (''ek'', ''ex'') ‘from’, ‘out of’, ‘outside of - is a name given to a place by foreigners; e.g., ‘Naples’ is an '''exonym''': it is the English name for the city known to its inhabitants as ''Napoli''.

A '''heteronym''' – the first part comes from the Greek [[adjective]] ἕτερος (''heteros''), ‘other’ - is one of two or more words which are spelt alike but pronounced differently; e.g., ‘lead’ (the metal), pronounced {{IPA| lɛd}} and ‘lead’ (the verb, meaning ‘to guide, be at the head of’), pronounced {{IPA|liːd}}. 

A '''hyponym''' –  the first part comes from the Greek preposition ὑπό (''hupo''), ‘under’ - is a word with a more specific meaning than another word; e.g., ‘scarlet’ is a '''hyponym''' of ‘red’, ‘screwdriver’ is a '''hyponym''' of ‘tool’. Where two types of item are related as [[Genus|species]] and [[genus]], the word denoting the species is a '''hyponym''' of the word denoting the genus.

A '''hypernym''' – the first part comes from the Greek preposition ὑπέρ (''huper''), ‘over’, above’ - is a word with a more general meaning than another word; e.g. ‘red’ is a '''hypernym''' of ‘scarlet’, ‘tool’ is a '''hypernym''' of ‘screwdriver’. '''Hyponym''' and '''hypernym''' are correlative terms.

A '''meronym''' – the first part comes from the Greek [[noun]] μέρος (''meros''), ‘portion’, ‘part’ - is a word denoting something which is part of something larger; e.g., ‘toe’ is a '''meronym''' of ‘foot’.

A '''holonym''' – the first part comes from the Greek adjective ὅλος (''holos''), ‘whole’, ‘entire’ – is a word denoting something of which something else is a part; e.g., ‘foot’ is a '''holonym''' of ‘toe’. '''Meronym''' and '''holonym''' are correlative terms.

'''Note on pronunciation''': the pattern of stress is identical for all the members of this group The '''–onym''' form has the stress on the first syllable – '''syn'''onym, '''met'''onym – while the '''–onymous''' and '''–onomy''' forms have the stress on the third syllable from the end – syn'''o'''nymous, met'''o'''nymous, syn'''o'''nymy, met'''o'''nymy.

[[Category:Grammar]][[Category:Etymology]][[Category:Pronunciation]]