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Sep 22, 2005

This week's theme
Words about words

This week's words
autonym
backronym
ananym
charactonym
anonym

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charactonym

charactonym (KAR-ik-tuh-nim) noun

A name of a fictional character that suggests the personality traits of that character.

[From English character, from Greek charakter (marking or engraving tool) + -onym (name).]

Example: Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Sheridan's first play, The Rivals. She was known for misusing words with humorous results. From mal- (bad) + apropos (fitting).

A related word is aptronym, a name that's especially suited to one's profession, e.g. Sally Ride, the astronaut.

"The easy-going Lovewit lives up to his charactonym; he enjoys a good joke, and condones mischief when it is clever and profitable to himself."
Kenneth Muir, et al; Shakespeare Survey: Volume 22; Cambridge University Press; 2002.

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