VIVA
VOCABULARY!
Each edition of “Viva Vocabulary!” focuses on a
different word genre. The goal is to help students
(re)discover the joy of language and the expressive
power of vocabulary.
Practical Ways to
Promote Word
Consciousness
Lois Huffman is an adjunct faculty member at NC State
University and a consultant with the Center for Applied
Linguistics. She provides professional development in
literacy and language for schools and local councils.
Contact her at [email protected].
by Lois E. Huffman
Jack and Jill Can Be Even More Nym-ble: Part Two of Three
There are many types of -nyms besides the Big-Three: Synonyms, Antonyms, and
Homonyms. You can find a list of –nym words at fun-with-words.com/nym_
words.html. In Part One of this series, we explored Acronyms, Aptonyms,
Backronyms, and Demonyms.
In this second installment, we will consider Eponyms, Hypernyms, Hyponyms,
Matronyms, Metonyms, Numeronyms, Paronyms, and Patronyms along with
ways to teach them. Many of the ideas can be implemented as “anchor activities”
(assignments for students who finish work early) or “side quests” (extra credit
opportunities). (Thanks to my colleagues in the Raleigh-Wake Reading Council and
the NC Reading Association for their inspiration and assistance with activities.)
Eponym – word originally associated with a particular real or imaginary
individual, but now used for a certain discovery, invention, honor, product,
behavior, or trait Examples: boycott, braille, Down syndrome, diesel engine, Ferris
wheel, Gallup poll, graham cracker, madoffed, Mercedes, Oscar, Stetson, Venn diagram
Eponym resources:
Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words by John
Bremelmans Marciano (Bloomsbury, 2009). (Madeline fans: Yes, Mr.
Marciano is a descendent of Ludwig Bremelmans.)
Harvey Wallbangers and Tam O’Shanters: A Book of Eponyms: The People Who
Inspired the Words We Use Every Day by Martin Hannan (John Blake, 2012)
Tawdry Knickers and Other Unfortunate Ways to Be Remembered: A Saucy and
Spirited History of Ninety Notorious Namesakes by Alex Novak (Perigee Trade,
2010)
(As the titles suggest, some of the eponymic items and stories in these books may
not be appropriate for young readers.)
Teaching Ideas:
1. After introducing Eponyms to the class, invite student pairs to investigate the
backstory of a specific eponym. Have students post what they learn (with web
links, video, images, etc.) on an online sticky note board such as en.linoit.com or
padlet.com/. Possible eponyms to investigate: Achilles’ heel, Barbie doll, Bibb
lettuce, guppy, Granny Smith apple, Heimlich maneuver, Levis, leotards, paparazzi,
Ponzi scheme, Rubik’s Cube, saxophone, Sequoya, Socratic method, and wimp.
For students who are science oriented, some interesting eponyms
are ampere, baud, Beaufort scale, Bunsen burner, Celsius, curie,
Fahrenheit, Geiger counter, Richter scale, volt, and watt. Students
who are interested in the military might want to research bowie
knife, guillotine, Molotov cocktail, or shrapnel. (The Great Word
Catalogue: FUNdamental Activities for Building Vocabulary by
Susan Ohanian, Heinemann, 2002)
2. Remind the class that many musicians release eponymous albums (e.g., The
Beatles, Beyoncé, Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Taylor Swift). Have students share
examples from their favorite artists. Talk about why this practice has been
common, especially for debut albums. Also have students reflect on the
disadvantages of eponymous albums. Afterward, older students might read the
“The Do’s and Don’ts of Self-Titled Record Albums.”
3. Have groups of students look into other things that bear people’s names (e.g.,
laws / public safety measures, clothing, sports equipment, eyewear, perfumes,
cosmetics, cookware). Each group could focus on one category and supply
examples and facts drawn from their research, such as the full name of the realperson-, TV character-, celebrity-, designer-, etc. namesake and why the specific
item is linked with that particular person.
Provide a couple examples to get students started.
CODE ADAM
Laws / Public Safety: Code Adam, the missing child
alert protocol, was named in memory of Adam Walsh, a six-year-old boy who
was murdered after being kidnapped from a store. Clothing: Daisy Dukes, cutoff denim short shorts, are named for a female character who wore them on the
1980s American TV show, Dukes of Hazzard.
Also ask students why such eponymous names are used and what advantages
they may have. Older students might share their insights with the world through
a video posted on YouTube or Vimeo.
4. Bring up well-known people and fictional characters whose names have become
synonymous with a particular attribute or behavior (e.g., Einstein = genius,
Gladys Kravitz = nosy neighbor, Goldilocks = “just right,” Judas or Benedict Arnold
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= traitor, John Hancock = signing one’s name). Have students suggest other
examples from real life, history, and literature.
Ask the class what the “Kevin Bacon of mathematicians” might be. If students are
not familiar with the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game, explain that the goal is to
connect the actor, Kevin Bacon to another actor through six or fewer movie costar links. Kevin Bacon claims that he has worked with everyone in Hollywood or
someone who worked with them. Thus, the “Kevin Bacon” of any profession is a
person who is directly or indirectly connected with a lot of people in that field.
Other examples to investigate: “Ron Popeil of politicians,” “to do a John Travolta,”
“a Rube Goldberg solution,” “drink an Arnold Palmer,” and “feeling so Oprah-ey”
5. Display a photo of a Les Paul guitar and tell students a bit of its history (Guitarist
Les Paul helped design and promote this electric guitar for Gibson, the
manufacturer. The guitar experienced a resurgence in popularity when Eric
Clapton, Keith Richards, and other well-known musicians began using it.)
Then ask class members to think about what they would like to have named
after them and why. (All items and reasons must be suitable for sharing at
school.) Students could post images with short explanations on a class
Educlipper board or they could put together a classroom display titled “When I
Grow Up, I Wanna Be an Eponym.” (Title taken from abcdunlimited.com/
write/musings/essays/eponyms.html).
Hypernym – word that has a more general meaning than another
Examples: berries to refer to blueberries, strawberries, raspberries,
etc.; vegetables instead of carrots, celery, onions, and such; vehicles in
reference to busses, cars, trucks, etc. Hypernyms are also called
hyperonyms, superordinate terms, generic terms, and umbrella words.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Explain what hypernyms are and offer examples. Then hold a class discussion
about the usefulness of hypernyms (e.g., summarizing, notetaking, remembering
a list of related items). Have students also consider problems that may arise with
overuse of hypernyms (e.g., vagueness, confusion).
2. When students are writing summaries to communicate what they have read,
remind them of the usefulness of hypernyms. Show them how a hypernym or
umbrella phrase can capture an entire concept in fewer words. For example, if a
character has “roses, petunias, marigolds, zinnias, and chrysanthemums in her
garden,” the student might simply write that the garden is filled with flowers.
Hyponym – word that has a more specific meaning than another Examples:
peach in relation to fruit; pig in relation to animal; sunflower in relation to flower)
Hyponyms are also called subordinate terms.
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Teaching Ideas:
1. Help students understand what hyponyms are by sharing examples and
contrasting them to hypernyms. Follow this introduction with a reflective
discussion on the advantages of knowing and using hyponyms (e.g., specificity,
precision, clarification). Students should also consider possible challenges with
hyponyms (e.g., having lots of details to remember).
2. Have students make a two-column chart or some kind of infographic to show
hyponyms with their corresponding hypernyms. Encourage students to think of
interesting hypernym-hyponym combinations (e.g., U.S.
Civil War Battles - Gettsyburg, PA, Chickamauga, GA,
Chancellorsville, VA, Shiloh, TN, Bentonville, NC; closures stopper, lid, cork, cap; pancakes - blini, crêpes, latkes, silver
dollars).
Students should include brief lists, images, maps, and other graphics to convey
content visually. Examples of infographics can be found at dailyinfographic.
com/. Students might use Infogr.am, Piktochart, or Easel.ly to create free
infographics.
3. Hold a guided discussion about the relationship between hypernyms, hyponyms,
and synonyms. Consider the hypernym, red and some of its hyponyms /
synonyms, scarlet, vermilion, carmine, and crimson. Also discuss the value of
hyponyms and hypernyms when writing descriptions or searching online.
4. Invite interested students to find out how hyponyms are similar to and different
from meronyms (names for parts [back, seat, leg] of a whole [chair]). Have
students share their findings and examples through a multimedia presentation
using a free tool such as VoiceThread. Students might use print and digital visual
dictionaries and look for images online to learn the names of parts that are
unfamiliar to them (e.g., eyelet, heel tab, tongue, toe box, and sole are components
of shoes).
5. Introduce students to Visuwords, a graphical dictionary that not only provides
the meaning/s of a word, but also shows its related concepts. Point out the
symbols for “is a kind of” and “is an instance of” which indicate a hyponym /
hypernym pair, such as wheat / grain.
Matronym (a.k.a. metronym) – word derived from the name of one’s mother or
other female relative Examples: Maria is the grandniece of Mary; Katia is the
daughter of Kate; Helena is the granddaughter of Helen
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Teaching Idea:
Discuss what matronyms are and then have students survey peers and school
staff to learn whose name might be a matronym. Make a bulletin board or digital
display highlighting matronyms that are in the school’s website or staff
directory. Include namesakes and photos if applicable / desired.
Metonym (a.k.a. Word Stand-In) – word or phrase that designates something by
the name of something associated with it Examples: blade for knife; empty suit for
an unimportant businessperson who performs his / her job poorly; dead presidents
for U.S. paper money; Detroit for the U.S. auto industry; inside the Beltway for
Washington, DC Some lists of metonyms are at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_
of_metonyms and examples.yourdictionary.com/examples/examples-ofmetonymy.html. Students can collect contemporary examples from TV and
electronic media.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Let the class know that writers, pundits, and cartoonists are among those who
use metonyms. Explain what metonyms are and give examples that will interest
students. Then ask the class to speculate why metonyms might have evolved and
continue to be used in oral and written communication (e.g., simplification,
verbal efficiency, linguistic creativity and interest, saving space and/ or time,
portrayal of a particular perspective through emphasis on a specific aspect of a
person, place, or thing). Require students to supply examples to clarify and
illustrate their points about the purpose of metonyms.
2. Also consider the qualities of an effective metonym. Refer students to
grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/metonymterm.htm. In this piece, linguist Richard
Norquist presents observations about metonyms: First, they are “not arbitrary.”
A metonym must be a well-known and important aspect of something. Second, a
metonym is like a sign; it represents something broader than itself.
Explore these qualities of a metonym by focusing on a specific one, such as ink
for tattoo or tattooing. Ask the class: 1) Why is ink preferable to needle or design,
which are also “important and well-known aspects” of tattooing? (e.g., Needle
has many negative associations: pain, drug use, spread of
disease from reuse / sharing. One or more needles is used to
tattoo, but is not part of the finished design.) 2) How does
ink serve as a “sign” for tattooing? (e.g., Indelible ink is
inserted into the dermis. The color and quality of the ink
impacts the brightness and durability of the tattoo.)
3. Print out metonyms and their meanings on separate strips of paper. (Use
relevant metonyms from the online lists mentioned above.) Randomly distribute
the strips and have students walk around the room to find their match (i.e.,
meaning for the metonym they have or the metonym that fits the definition they
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are holding). When students have found their match, they should go to one side
of the room. After time is called, all partners share their matches and reasons
with the class. If needed, go online to find out more about any metonyms that are
confusing or unfamiliar to most students.
4. Invite students to sort a wide variety of metonyms (e.g., the bench, Buckingham
Palace, Capitol Hill, city hall, Hollywood, jocks, military brass, Nashville, Oval Office,
tongue, Wall Street, Washington, wheels) into categories. Provide categories such
as positive / negative, historical / modern, people / places / things, etc. or have
students devise their own categories. Each category must contain at least two
metonyms. Students must supply reasons for their categorization decisions.
5. Have interested students research the relationship between metonyms and
metaphors and share their findings with the class. Encourage students to create
metonyms that represent common aspects of their world and tweet or blog
about their creations to encourage others to use the new metonyms in speaking
and writing.
6. Let the class know that genericized brand names (e.g., calling all carbonated
beverages Coke®) are actually a type of metonym. Have students make a list of
specific trademarks that are commonly used to refer to a general class of
products (e.g., Clorox® for bleach; Halls® for cough suppressants; Saran™ for
plastic wrap).
Refer to the January 2012 issue of the NCRA Newsletter for more information
and teaching ideas related to genericized trade names.
Numeronym – telephone number that spells a word /phrase or a word / phrase
that is informally spelled with both numbers and letters Examples: 1-800-336READ – International Reading Association; 1-800-AAA-HELP – American Automobile
Association; 1-800-DENTIST – To locate a nearby dentist; 1-800-FOR-ROAD –
Virginia Department of Transportation Customer Service Center); K-9; 4ever; 2 wise
2 B 4got10 Many more of the latter type of numeronyms are at wordnik.com/
lists/numeronyms.
Teaching Ideas:
1. To introduce the concept of numeronyms, ask students to read,
“It's a Number! It's a Word! It's Both!” Follow up with questions
such as: What are the different types of numeronyms identified
by the author? With which are you familiar? Which are new to
you? What is the role of technology in numeronym use?
2. Have students keep a running list of numeronyms they encounter on TV, online, in
print, and out and about (e.g., ad on billboard to indicate it is available for rent: 800REPLACE). As a class, reflect on the types of products, expressions, and businesses /
organizations that use numeronyms for phone numbers.
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3. Also discuss students’ experiences with numeronyms, including possible advantages
and disadvantages. To encourage more in-depth thinking, pose questions such as: For
phone numbers, why are the digits often provided in addition to the numeronym?
What contributes to the popularity or use of numeronyms in texting and
communication among close friends? Given the ubiquity of mobile phones, are
numeronyms as telephone numbers becoming more or less common? If you or a
friend or family member had a numeronym for a phone number, what would it be?
(All numeronyms must be school appropriate.)
Paronym – word derived from the same root as another Examples: art, artist,
artsy, artless, artistic, artistry, artisan, artisanal Paronyms are frequently referred
to as cognates. Some useful resources for cognates are: colorincolorado.org/pdfs/
articles/cognates.pdf (English-Spanish Cognates); cognate.org; and esdict.com/
English-Spanish-Cognates.html #where-to-go.
Teaching Ideas:
1. Introduce the idea of paronyms by sharing examples. Focus on the advantages of
paronyms for both native speakers of English and English learners. Ask students
to provide examples of situations in which paronyms may prove beneficial (e.g.,
comprehending content material, taking a vocabulary test, visiting a non-English
speaking country).
2. Collaboratively develop a bulletin board display of useful paronyms within
English (e.g., heal, health, healthy, healer, healing) and between English and other
languages with common roots (e.g., Spanish, German, French). Consider titling
the board, “You Know_______, So Now You Know….” Include a caution about false
cognates and give humorous or relevant examples. For instance, the English
word embarrassed and the Spanish word embarazado look similar, but have
different meanings; the latter means pregnant, not embarrassed.
3. Point out any cognates between English and students’ first languages (those with
Latin, Slavic, or Germanic roots) that are in school texts. Also encourage English
learners to use their knowledge of their first language to guess at the meaning of
unknown English words. Students might keep a chart like the following to
reinforce the usefulness of cognates.
Unknown Word
dormant
Page
3
Guessed Meaning
asleep
Dictionary Meaning
inactive
(Tankersley, 2005)
Patronym – name derived from one’s father or another male ancestor
Examples: Richardson refers to the son of Richard, Karla is the daughter of Karl,
Louise’s grandfather is Louis
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Teaching Ideas:
1. Once students are familiar with matronyms (see earlier discussion in this post),
present patronyms and invite students to guess what the latter are. Present
examples to clarify and illustrate the concept of patronyms.
2. Have students survey their peers, family members, and teachers to learn who
might have a patronym. Devote a section of the class vocabulary notebook or
class wiki to the patronyms that students discover. Let the class know that some
patronyms may be hard to spot because the names originate in another language
(e.g., Fernández, Johannsen, Mikelovich).
3. Ask students to search the school yearbook, organization directories, and online
listings for female names that appear to be derivatives of male names (e.g.,
Alexandra, Donna, Eugenia, Glendia, Huberta, Kenley, Markia, Paula, Theodora,
Victoria, Virgilia). Encourage interested students to create
new female names from male names (Are there any that
don’t already exist!?) and look for male names based on
female names (e.g., Cleo from Cleopatra).
4. Invite students to investigate the origins of their surname. Some students might
discover that they have a patronym. Others might learn that their family name is
related to a place or was coined by their parents or ancestors.
Articles about surnames from various ethnicities and countries can be found
online. Warn students that much of the information about family names is
speculative and that the reliability of online sources varies depending on the
author’s / sponsor’s credentials.
5. Also hold a discussion about naming conventions (patriarchal vs. matriarchal),
including how they are changing in some countries and cultures. Have students
likewise search for first names that are gender neutral, that is, names which are
given to both males and females (e.g., Ashley, Drew, Leslie, Peyton, Sidney,
Spencer, Taylor).
Note if anyone in the class has a uni-sex name. These students might enjoy
relating the history of their names. If they do not know, encourage them to ask
their parent/s or other family members who may know about the origins of their
name.
This post, “Jack and Jill Can Be Even More Nym-ble: Part Two of Three” appeared
first on http://www.ncreading.org/.
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