theronym

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Definition | Meaning

  1. A brand name derived from the name of an animal.

Examples | Illustrations

  • Ford Mustang sports car
  • Chicago Bears American football team

textual visibility

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Definition | Meaning

  1. The likelihood that a given brand name will stand out in a length of text, such as a Wall Street Journal article. Many factors can contribute to a brand name’s textual visibility, including its length, initial letter, and spelling.

Examples | Illustrations

  • Kodak (high textual visibility)
  • Xerox (high textual visibility)

Compare | See

  • discourse audibility

technonym

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Definition | Meaning

  1. A company name derived from the name of one of that company’s successful products or services.

Etymology | Origin

  • The term was originally coined to describe the practice in some cultures of renaming a parent after one of his or her children.

Tautonym

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Definition | Meaning

  • A brand name or descriptor composed of two identical parts

Example | Illustration

  • ‘pawpaw’
  • ‘yo-yo’
  • ‘tutu’
  • ‘bye-bye’.

taboo word

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Definition | Meaning

  1. a word to be avoided because it is sacred, politically incorrect, vulgar, or otherwise inappropriate

Etymology | Origin

  • Tongan tabu ‘prohibited’

Synonymic Attraction

2007 December 30
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by Brent

The tendency for things of great interest to a community to attract a large number of colorful synonyms. Think of the plethora of synonyms many cultures have for money, intoxication, and sex.

Synonym

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Any word having the same or similar meaning as another. In fact, no two words ever have precisely the same connotations. Compare Connotation.

Synecdoche

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Any brand name which uses one example of its category to stand for the whole. Staples, for example, sells a wide variety of office supplies, and the Red Lobster restaurant offers a variety of seafood. Compare Metonym.

Symbol

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Any distinctive, typically non-typographic element of the brand identity which calls to mind the brand as a whole. The Nike swoosh and the Coca-Cola bottle are instantly recognizable symbols of their respective brands. The brand name itself may also be considered a symbol. Compare Brand Identity.

Suggestive Name

2007 December 30
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by Brent

Any brand name which suggests or refers to the good or service in question, but which does not actually describe it. Compare Descriptive Name, Allusive Name, and Metaphoric Mame.