A Dictionary of Eponyms (Oxford Paperback Reference)

The English language contains a large number of eponymic words--words derived from the names of people because of their close association with the product, service, or concept. Eponymic words fall into three categories: those derived from mythological or fictitious names; those which describe the person or his works (as, for example Shakespearian or Shavian); and the "true" eponymic words which come from the names of people who actually exist or once existed. This lively, compact, and entertaining reference book presents four hundred "true" eponyms that cover virtually every field of human activity, originating from a vast cross-section of foreign, as well as English, names. Cyril Leslie Beecher, the compiler of the dictionary, informs us that the term "ampere" comes from the name of the French scientist, André Marie Ampère; that the "cardigan" gets its name from James Thomas Brudenell, the seventh Earl of Cardigan; that the "zeppelin" comes from the name of a German soldier and airship designer and manufacturer, Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin; and the list goes on. A short account of the originator's history and claim to this unusual form of immortality accompanies the definition for each word. The dictionary also includes a subject index which enables readers to satisfy their curiosity about specific areas. Presenting a wide variety of eponymic words whose human association makes them particularly fascinating, this highly readable and comprehensive dictionary provides the perfect opportunity for browsing and obtaining a vast amount of unusual information.