*-nyms

Apr. 25th, 2006 10:38 am
jack: (Default)
[personal profile] jack
Is there a word that collectively refers to homonyms and homophones, etc, and if possible also pseudonyms :) other than "homonym"?

Is there a word that refers to words typed with the same letters on a phone keypad, like "me" and "of" and "dtaj" and "fuck"[1]?

I propose:

Telenym.
Phononym.
Buttononym.

The second is a pun on homophone[2]. The last should have a greek -- or at least foreign -- word for button or keypad instead. Can you suggests a good stem there? Or any other suggestions?

Is there an equivalent of pseudonym, nom-de-plume, anonym, pseudogyny, acronym or cognomen for an online name, handle, tag, screenname, and username?

Pseudonym nearly covers it, but a pseudonym is often (though by no means necessarily) anonymous. Can we revive cognomen, please? Or coin a new word. The list at the end are fine as words, but I find them insufficient because they don't have "nym" in as all names should :)

[1] I really love this new form of bowdlerisation. Phononym will also refer to words *formed* this way, such as "book" meaning "cool" and the swearwords produced!

[2] Are universal definition of homonym, etc? Wikipedia says:

Homograph -- Words spelled the same and different in meaning. ()
Homophone -- Words pronounced the same but different in meaning
Homonym -- One or more of the above. Some people say restricted to having a different root[3].
Heteronym -- annoyingly, nearly a subset of homonym! :)

But makes it clear many people/dictionaries changes those 'or's to 'ands', add restrictions that the words must be the same or different in spelling/pronunciation/meaning/root as well.

Do linguists have any standard use, or official use and colloquial use, or can I go on using wikipedia's definitions which fit with my conception, and occasionally say things like "A true homonym" for a homonym with different spelling and pronunciation, or perhaps for one with truly different roots?

[3] Or at least different route from the same original root :)


Hmm, my formatting is odd, but we'll live with it.
From: [identity profile] cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com
True. A slight anagram :)

And sorry, I felt I had to say that bit, but I'm just off to CTS -- I'll reply to everything else later. Email me if you're bored ;)

*hugs* xxx jack
From: [identity profile] rochvelleth.livejournal.com
Ah, CTS... Shame I can't come, but I'll try really hard in following weeks, honest ;) Have fun :)

I have your email, but I have to run off now. Hopefully I'll get to it tomorrow :)

*hugs* xxx Pippa