Eponyms: Words Made from Names

Recognize everyday and academic words that began as the names of real people.

An eponym is a word derived from a person's name. Many have become so ordinary that their origin is hidden. 'Sandwich' honors John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, said to have eaten meat between bread so he could keep working. 'Boycott' comes from Charles Boycott, a land agent in 1880s Ireland whom the community refused to deal with. 'Galvanize' comes from Luigi Galvani, who studied electricity in muscles; today it also means to shock people into action. 'Braille' is named for Louis Braille, who invented the raised-dot writing system as a teenager.

'Pasteurize' comes from Louis Pasteur. Worked example: 'The speech galvanized the volunteers. ' Knowing Galvani's electrical experiments helps you picture a jolt of energy running through the crowd. Eponyms often carry a story, and the story is a memory aid.

• 1An eponym is a word that comes from a person's name.
• 2Sandwich, boycott, galvanize, braille, and pasteurize are eponyms.
• 3The person's story often explains the meaning.