CACONYM

[Dr. Goodword]

• caconym •

Pronunciation: kæ-kê-nim • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: A bad word, bad for whatever reason—badly constructed, insulting, ugly, etc.

Notes: The first caconym we need to mention is yesterday's good word, acronym, which we pointed out was based on Greek words meaning "topmost name", which doesn't make sense. Some people would call the name, Dezonia Delacrasia, a caconymous burden for the child upon whom it is inflicted. This name is caconymic because it is cacophonic "bad-sounding". Of course, the vocabulary of profanity, including racial slurs, is a collection of caconyms. The adjective is caconymous [kê-kah-nê-mês] and the noun, caconymy [kê-kah-nê-mi].

In Play: Caconyms are first and foremost bad names: "No wonder he goes by the nickname 'Bud'; his parents cursed him with the caconym, Percival Aloysius." Now, if you know someone who resorts to profanity too often, you can correct them and set an example at the same time: "Leander, were your speech less caconymous, we would listen to more of what you say."

Word History: All of our good words this week will have the Greek word onyma "name" in them. Today's is a combination of kakos "bad" + onyma "name". Kakos goes back to a Proto-Indo-European root found in almost all Indo-European languages referring to defecation. Onyma comes from PIE nomen "name" which changed very little in Latin, where we find nomen "name", visible in nominal, ignominy, misnomer, and many other English borrowings. In the Germanic languages we find it as something like English name (German Name). The best guess is that moniker is a Shelta variant, munik, of Gaelic ainm "name" from the self-same source.

[Stargzer]

Caconymous Speech! A great way to let off steam and relieve stress. You know stress: that's the confusion created when one's Mind overcomes the Body's basic desire to choke the living daylights our of some jerk that really needs it.

My father never talked in his sleep; he swore. It must have been something about the Marine Corps Reserves .... I guess he knew a lot of jerks.

[skinem]

I finally know what to call this word--"dadshimit"
A guy I knew wouldn't cuss, but would say that. I used to tell him if he was going to say that, he may as well let it rip as that sounded as bad!

Caconym has some similarities in meaning with euphemism...

[Stargzer]

I finally know what to call this word--"dadshimit"
A guy I knew wouldn't cuss, but would say that. I used to tell him if he was going to say that, he may as well let it rip as that sounded as bad!

Caconym has some similarities in meaning with euphemism...

Well, not really. One type of euphemism may be used instead of a caconym, such as your example, "dadshimit," or other similar ones such as "dad gummit," "dad burn it," and a small host of others.

[I guess you can say "a small host." You cannot say "a whole host" since "host" refers to an indefinite number, and there is no such thing as "half a host." However, a "host," like a "horde," could be large or small.]