Welcome to the Tuesday Coffee Hour here on Street Prophets. This is an open thread where we can hang out and talk about what’s going on in our worlds. I thought we might talk about user names.
Let’s start with some etymology: in many words in English we find the Greek element “-onym” which means name. One of the most common English words using this element is “pseudonym” which means false name. Many of the users were use pseudonyms as their user names. The use of a pseudonym as a user name provides a bit of anonymity. “Anonymity” is also based on “-onym” with the prefix “an” which is a negative prefix. Thus “anonymity” means “no name.”
“Aptronym” means “apt name,” that is, a name which is suited to the profession, behavior, character, or background of the person. Many of the user names here appear to be aptronyms.
“Antonym” means “opposite name.” We do seem to have a few antonyms as user names.
“Homonym” means “same name” and in the context of a user name this would imply that the user name is the same as the user’s name.
Is your user name a pseudonym, aprtronym, homonym, antonym, synonym, acronym, patronym, matronym, and some other –onym?
This is an open thread. Feel free to talk about what’s ever going on in your life.
Since this is Street Prophets, the traditional question for open thread diaries is: What’s for dinner?