An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include eponymous and eponymic.
The term eponym[2][3] functions in multiple related ways, all based on an explicit relationship between two named things. A person, place, or thing named after a particular person share an eponymous relationship. In this way, Elizabeth I of England is the eponym of the Elizabethan era, but the Elizabethan era can also be referred to as the eponym of Elizabeth I of England.
When Henry Ford is referred to as "the eponymous founder of the Ford Motor Company", his surname "Ford" and the name of the motor company have an eponymous relationship. The word "eponym" can also refer to the title character of a fictional work (such as Rocky Balboa of the Rocky film series), as well as to self-titled works named after their creators (such as the album The Doors by the band the Doors).
Walt Disney created the eponymous Walt Disney Company, with his name similarly extended to theme parks such as Walt Disney World.[4][5][6][7] Medical eponymous terms are often called medical eponyms although that usage is deprecable.
Periods have often been named after a ruler or other influential figure:
Trends
For examples, see the comparison table below.
Prevalent dictionary styling today | Stylings that defy prevalent dictionary styling | Comments |
---|---|---|
Addison disease[28] | *Addison Disease *addison disease |
|
Allemann syndrome[28] | *Allemann Syndrome *allemann syndrome |
|
cesarean [only][28] cesarean also cesarian [but no cap variant][16] cesarean, "often capitalized" or caesarean also cesarian or caesarian[29] |
More information on this word's orthographic variants is at Wiktionary: caesarean section. | |
darwinian [only][28] darwinism [only][28] Darwinian [only][16][17] Darwinism [only][16][17] Darwinist [only][16][17] |
||
diesel (n/adj/vi) [no cap variant][16][17] and also diesel-electric[16] diesel engine[16][17] dieseling[16][17] dieselize, dieselization[16] |
*Diesel engine *Dieseling *Dieselize, Dieselization |
|
draconian[17] draconian often Draconian[16] |
||
eustachian [only][28] eustachian often Eustachian[16] eustachian tube [only][28] eustachian tube often Eustachian tube[16] eustachian tube or Eustachian tube[17] |
*Eustachian Tube | |
fallopian [only][28] fallopian often Fallopian[16] fallopian tube [only][28] fallopian tube often Fallopian tube[16] fallopian tube also Fallopian tube[17] |
*Fallopian Tube | |
Marxism [only][16][17] Marxist [only][16][17] |
*marxism *marxist |
|
mendelian [only][28] or Mendelian [only][16] mendelian inheritance [only][28] or Mendelian inheritance [only][16] but Mendel's laws[16][28] |
*Mendelian Inheritance | |
Newtonian [only][16][17] | *newtonian | |
parkinsonism [only][16][28] parkinsonian [only][16][28] parkinsonian tremor[28] Parkinson disease [only][28] Parkinson's disease [only][16] |
*Parkinsonism *Parkinsonian *Parkinsonian tremor *Parkinsonian Tremor *Parkinson Disease *Parkinson's Disease |
|
quixotic [only][16][17] | *Quixotic | |
Roman numerals[17] roman numerals[16] |
AMA Manual of Style lowercases the terms roman numerals and arabic numerals. MWCD enters the numeral sense under the headword Roman but with the note "not cap" on the numeral sense.[16] |
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