NYM

Nym is a linguistic term referring to the concept of a name. In English, nym functions as a bound morpheme that appears in many words to denote various kinds of naming relations or naming practices. The form comes from Greek onoma or onoma-, meaning “name,” and is attached as a suffix or a root in compound words.

Common uses and examples include synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms, which categorize words by their relationship to naming or meaning. Toponyms are place names, hydronyms are water-body names, and geonyms refer to geographic names more broadly. Pseudonym refers to a false or assumed name, often used by authors or artists. Metonym is a related concept where a concept is conveyed by naming something closely associated with it. Acronym, formed from the initial letters of a phrase to create a name-like word, also employs the same naming-related idea, though its formation is more lexical than purely nominal.

Differences between -nym and -onym can be subtle and vary by linguistic tradition. Both descend from the same Greek root concept of naming, but some authors treat -nym as a general suffix signaling a naming category, while -onym is sometimes treated as a more formal or specific nominal base. In everyday usage, the distinction is not always strict, and many speakers use the terms interchangeably when discussing naming types.

In scholarship, onomastics is the study of names and naming practices, encompassing the taxonomy of nyms and their social, historical, and linguistic significance. The concept of nym thus serves as a useful shorthand for discussing how names function within language, culture, and information systems. See also onomastics, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, toponyms, pseudonyms.