onom

Onom is a linguistic and lexical element drawn from the Greek word onoma, meaning "name." In English, the form is commonly realized as the combining suffix -onym, which appears in many terms that relate to names, naming processes, or naming relationships. The concept is central to onomastics, the field that studies proper names, their origins, usage, and meanings.

In practice, -onym words cover a range of naming phenomena. Mononym describes a person known by a single name, such as a celebrity who uses only one given name. Pseudonym, a false or pen name used by writers or artists, is another well-known example. To determine the names of places, people, or concepts, terms such as toponym (place name), exonym (a name used by outsiders for a place or group), and endonym (a name used by insiders) are commonly cited. The suffix also appears in semantic terms like synonym (a word with a meaning similar to another) and antonym (a word with an opposite meaning), as well as homonym (words that sound the same or are spelled the same but have different meanings).

The morpheme is primarily a tool for word formation rather than a standalone word with extensive use of its own. It is closely related to onomastics, the study of names, and to related Greek-rooted terms such as onomato-, which connects naming with other linguistic processes. Together, these forms illustrate how the idea of "name" permeates a wide range of linguistic and lexical concepts.