Eponyms
Match the words in Column A with its meaning in Column B.
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
1. Margarita
a) Close-fitting garments worn by dancers, acrobats, and the
like are discovered by a French aerial gymnast
2. Braille
b) A man who is a promiscuous and unscrupulous lover
named after an Italian adventurer and writer.
c) Excessively patriotic or devoted to an ideology named after
a legendary French
d) A system of writing for the blind named after a French
teacher of the blind who invented it in1852.
3. Leotard
4. Casanova
5. Chauvinist
e) An alcoholic drink made with tequila and lime juice. It was
invented by a bartender in El Paso, Texas, in honor of his
girlfriend.
f) A stiff felt hat that with a dome-shaped crown and rather
narrowed rolled brim and named after Edward Stanley.
One of the most important things you
can do in writing is to use appropriate
words or phrases. When you use
appropriate words or phrases whether
spoken or written, you will make a
good impression and you will be known
as a courteous student.
Examples:
Original: You are not doing well in your
job so you are being kicked out.
Alternative: You are not doing well in
your job so you are terminated.
Original: Sorry to interrupt.
Alternative: Sorry to cut in.
Words are useful in our daily lives, especially
in communication. We have to know how
words are formed and their meaning. We
cannot compose a better sentence if we lack
vocabulary. We can enhance or improve our
vocabulary by studying the word-formation
and their meaning.
Do you
know what
eponym is?
An eponym refers to a person or
thing after which something else is
named. A person or thing’s name
can come to be associated with the
name of another character, person,
product, object, activity, or even a
discovery.
Examples:
Graham Crackers were named after Sylvester
Graham, a reverend who promoted the
vegetarian diet and the firm bread of
coarsely-ground flour we enjoy to this day.
Dewey Decimal System is used in most
school libraries was named for its inventor,
Melvil Dewey.
Types of
Eponym
1. Simple Eponym
Eponym in which a proper noun has been fully adopted
and becomes the common name of something else.
Examples:
ATLAS – the Greek figure Atlas holds the world on his
shoulders; we now use his name as a common term for
a book of the map.
WATT – the common name for the unit of electric
power named after its developer, James Watt.
2. Compounds and Attributive Eponym
Eponym mix and description.
Examples:
LOGANBERRY – a fruit is named after a US
lawyer, James Logan who accidentally
discovered the berry.
MIESES OPENING – a chess opening that
begins with a movie named after the German
British grandmaster Jacques Mieses.
3. Possessives Eponym
Eponyms are written in a possessive form and
attribute ownership to their namesake.
Examples:
NEWTON’S LAW OF PHYSICS – named for
the physicist, Sir Isaac Newton.
THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN – named for
Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer.
4. Suffix-based Derivatives Eponym
Eponym in which the name of a person is
combined with a suffix to form a new word.
Examples:
MESMERISM – named after a German
physician, Franz Mesmer.
NARCISSISM – named after a mythical
character Narcissus.
5. Clippings Eponym
Eponym in which a name has been shortened
or adapted.
Examples:
DUNCE – a combination of the middle and last
names of Johns Duns Scotus. He was a friar and
a theologian who was considered to be a fool.
GAL – the name of the unit of measurement of
acceleration shortened from the name of the
scientist Galileo.
6. Blends
Eponym in which two words are blended to make a new one.
Examples:
REAGANOMICS - a term used to describe the economic
philosophy of the 80s in the United States president, Ronald Reagan.
It is also used to describe a system where the wealthiest receive tax
breaks and fewer regulations.
GERRYMANDER – a combination of the name Elbridge Gerry and
the word salamander. It refers to an unfair practice of dividing voting
districts in a city.
TURING MACHINE – a mathematical model computation named
after Alan Turing, a mathematician, a computer scientist, and
philosopher who invented the machine in 1963.
Identify the structural type of the word. Tell whether the
word is simple, compound, possessive, suffix-based,
clippings, or blend. Write your answers on the blank
provided.
suffix-based
1. Feminism - _______________
2. Jacuzzi - _______________
simple
possessive
3. Murphy’s Law - _______________
clipping
4. Bike - _______________
blending
5. Camcorder - _______________
Fill in the blank with the best word to complete each sentence. Choose the answer form the
list in the box.
cantaloupe
cologne
bologna
vaudeville
marathon
tarantula
1) Jenny dabbed some cologne
__________ behind her ears before the
party.
2) Hector worked out daily in preparation for the
marathon
__________.
3) Do they serve bologna
__________ sandwich in the cafeteria?
4) Like other spider, atarantula
__________ has eight legs and no
wings.
5) Mr. Ricci grows several kinds of melon, including
cantaloupe
__________.
Read each question then encircle the best answer from the given choices.
1) Which one is formal?
sweater
tuxedo
bikini
marinate
maritime
marathon
tangerine
tarantella
tarantula
sapphire
sardines
sarcasm
tequila
tarantula
tuxedo
2) Which one is tiring?
3) Which one is dangerous?
4) Which one has fins?
5) Which one is an alcoholic drink?
Fill in the blank with word(s) to complete each generalization.
1) I discovered that the words derive from the name of the
discoverer is called _______________.
eponym
6 types of
2) I learned that there are _______________
Eponyms.
3) I learned that a type Eponym in which two words are
blended to make a new one is called _______________.
blend
4) I discovered that a type of eponym in which a proper noun
has been fully adopted and become the common name of
simple
something else is called _______________.
clipping eponym in which a name
5) I learned that a _______________
has been shortened or adapted.
As a student, knowing the literary devices is
very important to understand a certain
literary piece because writers used different
literary devices in their writings or
masterpieces to create special and pointed
effects, convey an idea and help the readers
to understand their writings or masterpieces
in a deeper level. These are also used in
writing to give emphasis and clarity.
Directions: Choose a word from the box below then place it next to its meaning.
Algorithm
Victorian
Aphrodisiac
Vulcan
Fahrenheit
America
vulcan
1) An ancient Roman god of fire and metalworking. ____________________
2) A scale of temperature on which the water freezes at 32 degrees and boils at
212 degrees under standard condition. ____________________
3) A process or set of rules to be followed in calculation or other problemsolving operations, especially by a computer. ____________________
4) A type of the moral standards, attitudes, or conduct of the age of Victoria
especially when considered stuffy, prudish, or hypocritical.
____________________
5) A term is taken from the ancient goddess of love is defined as food or other
substance that causes arousal or sexual desire. ____________________
fahrenheit
algorithm
victorian
aphrodisiac
1. Feminism - feminine + ism
2. Jacuzzi - Candido Jacuzzi (19031986) was an Italian inventor who
moved to the USA.
3. Murphy’s Law - Edward Aloysius
Murphy Jr. an American aerospace
engineer who worked on safety-critical
systems
4. Bike – in short of bicycle
5. Camcorder – camera + recorder
• Algorithm – Algoritmi latin transition of the
mathematician, geographer, and astronomer who
works on Indian numerals
• Aphrodisiac- from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of
love
• Fahrenheit - Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit. The physicist
invented the mercury thermometer and developed the
Fahrenheit temperature scale.
• Victorian – named after queen Victoria of England
• Vulcan- god of fire including the fire of volcanoes,
deserts, metalworking and the forge in ancient Roman
religion and myth