Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1
P
PeterF Offline OP
stranger
OP Offline
stranger
P
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1
All dictionaries seem to define eponyms as words named after people or a person.

If selenography is an eponym, are gods people?

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
is Santa Claus (aka Kris Kringle, father chrismas,etc) a person?

is a person only someone that we have proof once lived and died?(so do Adam and Eve (or other mythical/traditional 'first people") lose personhood?

We might not believe in Zeus, or Jupitor, or Jove or Mars, but at one point people did. they considered their gods real.

Now, if we discussed religion, we could discus did they consider their gods "people" (but we don't discuss religion, not even ancient ones) but, for the purposes of language, i think we can accept ancient gods as people!

Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 120
member
Offline
member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 120
Many eponyms are based on characters of fiction. Why should characters of myth or religion be excluded from being 'people'?


tempus edax rerum
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 13
stranger
Offline
stranger
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 13
Perhaps the dictionary is wrong. After all, it never talks with anyone! It's just a list of words, and it doesn't know how to use them, just define them. Hence: Perhaps an eponym is a word derived from the name of a . . . Personality, rather than a person. Since there is obviously room for disagreement over what a person is (factual or fiction, veracious or mythic), then with "Personality", why that takes us a step away, and possibly "above" mere persons, to an ultimate (or more ultimate, possibly even most ultimate) Source, at which there ought be no quibbling over actuality or potentiality, just - absolute - Personality.


Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,328
Members9,182
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 783 guests, and 0 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,539
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5