Onym means ‘word’ or ‘name’ and comes from the Greek word onumon (as cited in the Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus). There are also many words formed from using ‘-onym’ as a suffix. Words with this ending, refer to special kinds of words or names e.g. antonym and synonym (also see note 69: http://wp.me/p1x6Ui-ci). Other examples are acronym, pseudonym, homonym and eponym.
For a much more comprehensive list of words ending in -onym (including their meanings) please click on the link below – I was shocked that there were so many: http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/gswithenbank/onyms.htm.
According to Richard C Lamb in his book The Queen’s English, the word onymous means “bearing the author’s name” and is also the antonym (opposite) of anonymous. The word can be used in relation to people, books, letters etc.
Example: an onymous letter in the paper
That’s it for today. If you have any questions about this blog, please leave me a comment.
Don’t forget that you can subscribe to receive my daily blogs by email so that you don’t miss any. Just click ‘sign me up’ on the home page. Alternatively you can follow my blogs on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/madeirasandra or my new Tips and Luxuries Facebook page. Requests for future blogs (punctuation/grammar/writing tips) are always welcome.
Until tomorrow…
Sandra
My writing challenge: http://wp.me/p1x6Ui-4
This blog: https://mywritingnotebook.wordpress.com
My other blog: http://sandramadeira.wordpress.com
My website: www.tipsandluxuries.com (includes the introduction to my upcoming book ‘A Gift for Stressed and Busy Parents’)
Twitter: @madeirasandra and @tipsandluxuries
Reference list:
Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus
http://users.tinyonline.co.uk/gswithenbank/onyms.htm
Bernard C. Lamb The Queen’s English (2010), UK
My Writing Notebook 
Discussion
No comments yet.