Express Yourself

10 Fascinating Words About Words

You’ve probably used examples of all of them

Photo: Catherine Falls Commercial/Moment/Getty Images

I’m a sucker for good words.

I’ve been known to describe words as “delicious.” I keep lists of interesting words I encounter. And I maintain a simmering lamentation about the slow, sad death of the word “irony” (it’s the one word the English language has to describe “a state of affairs… that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result”… we have enough words that mean “something that sucks”).

So when I discover a savory new word, I get excited. But even more exciting, I’ve found, is to discover a word that describes other words. It’s like biting into a rich, creamy, chocolatey tart and discovering an even richer, creamier, chocolatey-er filling inside.

So without further delay, I present 10 of the tastiest words about words that I’ve recently discovered.

Retronym

I discovered this term not too long ago. A retronym is a noun to which a modifier has been added in order to describe what was once its default state, but no longer is — usually as a result of technological advancements.

Need an example? How about “cloth diaper.” Once upon a time, all diapers were cloth. Today…