This came in my word-a-day email:
retronym (RE-truh-nim) noun
An adjective-noun pairing generated by a change in the meaning of noun, usually because of advances in technology.
When I grew up, there were only Coke, turf and mail. Nowadays, Diet Coke, new Coke, artificial turf, and email (electronic mail) have spawned the retronyms real Coke, Classic Coke, natural turf, and snailmail or hard mail. Once there were simply movies. Then movies began to talk, necessitating the retronym silent movies. Then came color movies and the contrasting term black-and-white movies. Once there was television. Along came color television and the retronym black-and-white television. Then came cable television and the retronym on-air television.
And here are some other retronyms I pray will never come to pass -- graffitiless wall, nonelectronic book, teacher-staffed school, monogamous couple, and double-parent family.
who makes up these words?
byeness
ps - snow info coming soon
