The Roots of –onym- and –nomin- Mrs. Bruschetti’s 9 th Gifted

anonymous Having unknown or withheld authorship or agency. Having an unknown or unacknowledged name. Lacking individuality, distinction, or recognizability. From the Greek an-, meaning “without” and onyma, meaning “name.”

cognomen A noun. A name, especially a descriptive nickname acquired through usage. Example: Because David’s favorite sport has been baseball ever since he saw his first game, his friends have given him the cognomen “Slugger.”

denomination The name of a class or group. An organized group of religious congregations. A class of units have specified values.

homonym One or more words that have the same sound and often the same spelling but differ in meaning. Example: Bear, meaning “to support” and bear, meaning “a large omnivorous mammal,” are homonyms, but in context they are seldom confused.

ignominy A noun. Great personal dishonor or humiliation. Shameful or disgraceful action, conduct, or character. Ignominious—adj. In colonial times wrongdoers were often subjected to the ignominy of being put into the stocks.

metonymy A figure of speech in which an attribute or commonly associated feature is used to name or designate something. (From the Greek meta-, meaning “changing,” and onyma) In the days of sailing vessels, people used metonymy when they referred to ships as “sails.”

misnomer A noun. A name wrongly or unsuitably applied to a person, place, or thing. An error in naming a person or place. The Thrifty Traveler is certainly a misnomer for an expensive motel.

nomenclature A noun. A system of names used in the arts and sciences. (From the Latin nomen and calare, meaning “to call”) The diagram provided the nomenclature for the parts of the cell.

nominal Existing in name only and not in actuality. Insignificantly small, like a nominal fee. The manager’s title of “consultant” was a nominal one, since his colleagues rarely asked for his opinion.

renown Noun. The quality of being widely honored or acclaimed; fame. Because Dr. Miller was a physicist of great renown, her advice was widely ysought by others in the field.