eponymous

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 14, 2008 is: eponymous • \ih-PAH-nuh-mus\ • adjective : of, relating to, or being one for whom or which something is or is believed to be named Examples: Fans of The Steve Mapplethorpe Comedy Hour waited outside the studio exit in hopes of catching a glimpse of its eponymous host. Did you know? It's no coincidence that "eponymous" has to do with naming -- it comes to us from the Greek adjective "epōnymos," which is itself from "onyma," meaning "name." "Onyma" has lent its name to a number of English words, including "synonymous," "pseudonym," and "anonymous." Traditionally, an eponymous person or thing (i.e., an "eponym") might be a mythical ancestor or totem believed to be the source of a clan's name. Today, however, "eponymous" more typically refers to such individuals as the front man of "Theo's Trio" or the owner of "Sally's Restaurant"(Theo and Sally, respectively, of course). The things that are named for such name-providers are also "eponymous." For example, we can speak of "the eponymous 'Ed Sullivan Show'" as well as "the eponymous Ed Sullivan." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.