Definition:
(1) A word that is derived from the same root as another word. (2) A word linked to another by similarity of form. Adjective: paronymous. See also: Polyptoton.
Etymology:
From the Greek, "beside" + "name"Examples and Observations:
- "Grammarian Patricia O'Conner is back to challenge your grammar knowledge and discuss common grammar pet peeves."
(New Hampshire Public Radio, December 21, 2000) - "I guess Bart's not to blame. He's lucky, too, because it's spanking season, and I got a hankerin' for some spankerin'."
(Homer Simpson, The Simpsons) - paronymy
The relationship between two or more words partly identical in form and/or meaning, which may cause confusion in reception or production. In the narrow sense the term paronymy refers to 'soundalikes' (cognate near-homophones such as affect/effect or feminine/feminist), but in the wider sense it covers any 'lookalike' or 'meanalike' confusable words."
(R. R. K. Hartmann and Gregory James, Dictionary of Lexicography, Routledge, 1998) - "Two words are paronyms when their phonemic representations are similar but not identical. Two words are homonyms when their phonemic or graphemic representation is identical, and two words are homographs when their graphemic representation is identical (i.e., they are spelled the same). Two words are homophones when their phonemic representation is identical (i.e., they are pronounced the same). Homographs and homophones are subclasses of homonyms."
(Salvatore Attardo, Linguistic Theories of Humor, Walter de Gruyter, 1994)
