And the calendar pages blew

[venta]

Today, The Calendar has produced a Good Word.

autonomasy - a word of common or general signification used for the name of a particular thing, as... "the city" instead of London.

Compare with 8th January:

antomasy - the use of a name of some office, dignity, profession, science of trade, instead of the true name of the person, as when "His Majesty" is used for a king.

(Both these come from Rev. John Boag's Imperial Lexicon... of Every Word Usually Employed in Science, Literature and Art, c. 1850)

I like these. They are Good and Useful words, in that they neatly define a concept for which one might plausibly want a word, and where there isn't one already existing.

In other news, track 10 of The Beginning Stages Of... doesn't half go on.

Comments

[phlebas.livejournal.com]

Cataphora fits into a similar category.

[verlaine.livejournal.com]

Why is it antomasy and not antonomasy? I don't understand!

[venta.livejournal.com]

You'll have to take that up with Reverend Boag, I'm afraid.

[verlaine.livejournal.com]

I may have to, as he's got it badly wrong. Google for his suggested spelling and then mine if you don't believe me. The Greek roots being used here are ant(i)- and onoma-.

[venta.livejournal.com]

How could I possibly doubt you, particularly when the contrary opinion is being expressed by a deceased clergyman with the unlikely surname of Boag ?

There is, of course, also the option that The Calendar as misspelled it.