Post by t-bob on Aug 15, 2020 12:00:28 GMT -5
Retronym
A new word or phrase coined for an old object or concept whose original name has become used for something else or is no longer unique (such as acoustic guitar where guitar used to mean this but can now also refer to an electric guitar.
A retronym is a type of neologism that provides a new name for an object or concept to differentiate its original form or version from a more recent form or version. The original name is most often augmented with an adjective to account for later developments of the object or concept itself. Much retronymy is driven by advances in technology. Examples of retronyms are "acoustic guitar", and analog watch to distinguish from a digital watch. Often, at first, the new version of an object is given a special name to distinguish it from the established version. If, however, the new version becomes the standard, it loses the part of its name that identifies it as new or different, and a retronym is coined for the original. The earliest razors with encased blades were called "safety razors" to distinguish them from what were then just called "razors." But the safety razor has since become the standard and the original razor is now called a "straight-edge," "open," or "cut-throat" razor. Similarly, the first bicycles with two wheels of equal size were called "safety bicycles" because they were easier to handle than the then-dominant style that had one large wheel and one small wheel, which then became known as an "ordinary" bicycle. Since the end of the nineteenth century, most "bicycles" have been expected to have two equally-sized wheels, and the other type has been renamed "penny-farthing" or "high-wheeler" bicycle. Prior to the introduction of pneumatic tires, riding over the large wheel of the "penny-farthing" gave a much smoother ride, which accounts for their popularity, because smoothly paved roads at the time were more the exception than the rule, even in urban areas. It has been suggested that the desire for roads smooth enough for bicycling added to the impetus of the Good Roads Movement of the 1880s to 1920s. The "penny-farthing" itself had displaced bicycles with more equal wheels. Almost at the same time the "penny-farthing" was introduced the older bicycles became known as "bone-shakers", possibly another retronym.
Origin: ; coined by Frank Mankiewicz and popularized by William Safire in The New York Times
A new word or phrase coined for an old object or concept whose original name has become used for something else or is no longer unique (such as acoustic guitar where guitar used to mean this but can now also refer to an electric guitar.
A retronym is a type of neologism that provides a new name for an object or concept to differentiate its original form or version from a more recent form or version. The original name is most often augmented with an adjective to account for later developments of the object or concept itself. Much retronymy is driven by advances in technology. Examples of retronyms are "acoustic guitar", and analog watch to distinguish from a digital watch. Often, at first, the new version of an object is given a special name to distinguish it from the established version. If, however, the new version becomes the standard, it loses the part of its name that identifies it as new or different, and a retronym is coined for the original. The earliest razors with encased blades were called "safety razors" to distinguish them from what were then just called "razors." But the safety razor has since become the standard and the original razor is now called a "straight-edge," "open," or "cut-throat" razor. Similarly, the first bicycles with two wheels of equal size were called "safety bicycles" because they were easier to handle than the then-dominant style that had one large wheel and one small wheel, which then became known as an "ordinary" bicycle. Since the end of the nineteenth century, most "bicycles" have been expected to have two equally-sized wheels, and the other type has been renamed "penny-farthing" or "high-wheeler" bicycle. Prior to the introduction of pneumatic tires, riding over the large wheel of the "penny-farthing" gave a much smoother ride, which accounts for their popularity, because smoothly paved roads at the time were more the exception than the rule, even in urban areas. It has been suggested that the desire for roads smooth enough for bicycling added to the impetus of the Good Roads Movement of the 1880s to 1920s. The "penny-farthing" itself had displaced bicycles with more equal wheels. Almost at the same time the "penny-farthing" was introduced the older bicycles became known as "bone-shakers", possibly another retronym.
Origin: ; coined by Frank Mankiewicz and popularized by William Safire in The New York Times