Nyms

Nyms is a linguistic umbrella term used to refer to words and morphemes that encode naming relationships in language. It functions as a meta-category rather than a single lexical item. The set of nyms commonly includes terms that themselves name kinds of names, such as toponyms (place names), ethnonyms (names for ethnic groups), demonyms (names for people from a place), patronyms (family-name-based names), autonyms (self-designated names), exonyms (external names for a place or group), pseudonyms (false or pen names), and cryptonyms (code names). Some linguists also include hydronyms (names of bodies of water) and oronyms (strings of words that sound like other phrases) in broader discussions of nyms, depending on the analytic framework. Membership is not fixed and can vary by theory or language.

Etymology and usage: Nyms derives from the Greek onoma meaning name, combined with the suffix -nym, as in synonyms, antonyms, and toponyms. The plural form nyms is used when referring collectively to this class of terms rather than to a specific word.

In scholarly practice, nyms appear in discussions of naming phenomena, lexicography, and typology of naming systems. The term emphasizes the relational and categorial nature of names rather than the particular meanings of individual words. It is mainly a specialist term used in academic contexts rather than everyday vocabulary.

See also: toponym, ethnonym, demonym, patronym, autonym, exonym, pseudonym, cryptonym, hydronym.