Definition | Meaning
- A bad name.
- A name ill-suited to its positioning and/or purpose.
Etymology | Origin
- coined by analogy to cacaphonous from Greek kako ‘bad’ < Indo-European *kakka- ‘to defecate’ + Greek onuma ‘name’
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cachet
Definition | Meaning
- The particular qualities of one culture’s language ascribed to it by the speakers of another.
Example | Illustration
- A French name in English often conveys a sense of sensuality and/or sophistication. Would the Clinique cosmetic line be so popular if it were called ‘Clinic’ instead?
Etymology | Origin
- French ‘a mark of distinction, individuality, or authenticity’ < Old French cacher ‘to press, as with a signet ring’
borrowing
Definition | Meaning
- The adoption of a word from one language into the lexicon of another.
Example | Illustration
- an example of borrowing in English is the Japanese word tsunami, the massive tidal wave which frequently follows an earthquake
Etymology | Origin
Compare | See
- calque
blending
Definition | Meaning
- The creation of a new word by combining the first part of one word with the last part of another.
Example | Illustration
- the word ‘smog’ is made up of the words ‘smoke’ and ‘fog’
- the brand name Netopia is made up of the words ‘net’ and ‘utopia’
- although comparatively rare in English, this process is a common means of word formation in several language families (e.g. Malayo-Polynesian); it is distinct from recombinant morphemics in that only a portion of each morpheme is used
Etymology | Origin
Compare | See
- portmanteau word
- Recombinant Morphemics
backronym
Definition | Meaning
- A name reinterpreted by consumers as an amusing or ironic acronym.
Example | Illustration
- some owners jokingly suggest that the name Fiat stands for “Fix It Again Tomorrow”
Etymology | Origin
- coined from back + acronym
Compare | See
- acronym
back formation
Definition | Meaning
- The creation of a new word from an existing form assumed, incorrectly, to be its derivative.
Example | Illustration
- the word ‘edit’ was actually formed by dropping the suffix ‘-or’ from ‘editor’, not the other way around
Etymology | Origin
attributive noun
Definition | Meaning
- A noun which directly precedes the noun it modifies, without the necessity of a linking verb.
Example | Illustration
- London Fog brand apparel
associative field
Definition | Meaning
- Any set of names connected in form, meaning, or both.
Example | Illustration
Etymology | Origin
Compare | See
- clutter
- semantic field
archaism
Definition | Meaning
- Any brand name which, by the simple passage of time, is antiquated in style or meaning.
Example | Illustration
- Clabber Girl baking powder
Etymology | Origin
Compare | See
- archaicism
- anachronism
archaicism
Definition | Meaning
- Any brand name which, by the simple passage of time, is antiquated in style or meaning.
Example | Illustration
- Clabber Girl baking powder
Etymology | Origin
Compare | See
- archaism
- anachronism