eponyms

These words - called eponyms - and many more fill a new book called

NPR Topics: News 2009

Find out that we did eponyms twice already, most recently in 2006. 5.

Week 888: Make up a word based on someone's name The Empress 2010

(Un) luckily for some, the English language is chock-full of eponyms -- proper names that have slipped into general usage as other forms of speech.

Alex Novak: Boycott, Barbie, Leotard And Dunce: How Did These Namesakes Become Part Of Our Language? (PHOTOS) Alex Novak 2010

Most sports eponyms (words taken from a person's name) are more closely related to the actual sport, such as the Axel jump in skating (named after Norwegian skater Axel Paulsen) and the Fosbury flop (a high-jump technique popularized by Dick Fosbury).

Week in Words Erin McKean 2011

(Un) luckily for some, the English language is chock-full of eponyms -- proper names that have slipped into general usage as other forms of speech.

Alex Novak: Boycott, Barbie, Leotard And Dunce: How Did These Namesakes Become Part Of Our Language? (PHOTOS) Alex Novak 2010

That is a word that changes its meaning and sometimes pronunciation when it is capitalized, and usually applies to capitalization due to proper nouns or eponyms.

On studying history/History DC 2009

King Charles should learn from his eponyms to keep his head down.

Defender of (the) faith? 2008

The name takes its place next to FedEx, Xerox and Hoover as one of the world's "genericized trademarks"--or "proprietary eponyms."

Brin, Page See 'Google' Take Its Place In Dictionary 2006

The name takes its place next to FedEx, Xerox and Hoover as one of the world's "genericized trademarks"--or "proprietary eponyms."

Faces Of The Week July 3-7, 2006Forbes Faces Of The Week July 3-7, 2006 2006

Take this true-or-false quiz to find out whether you're up on your eponyms.

Archive 2006-10-01 The Nag 2006