retronym
noun

- a new word used to refer to the original form of something that now exists in several forms (dairy milk" is a retronym, because we now also have plant milks)

- a newly created term (such as “analog watch”, “film camera”, or “snail mail”) to distinguish something from its original or older version

Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster

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WORD ORIGIN

A retronym is a newer term created to distinguish the original or older version of something from a more recent version. The word itself breaks down into:

RETRO- (Latin: backwards, before) + -ONYM (Greek: name, word)

The term was coined in 1980 by Frank Mankiewicz and popularized by William Safire in his "On Language" column in The New York Times Magazine. Mankiewicz was specifically referring to the need to call a guitar an "acoustic guitar" after electric guitars were invented.

Retronyms emerge when innovations create a need to differentiate the original version of something from new variations. The original thing existed first, but didn't need a specific identifier until a new version came along.

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WHEN OLD THINGS GET NEW NAMES

Remember when a book was just a book, before we needed to call it a “paper book”? Language has always evolved, but there's something particularly elegant about retronyms - those rephrasings which give familiar objects new names when innovation demands it. Without them, how would we distinguish between a "landline phone" (that ancient device tethered to our wall) and the miniature computer we now call a "smartphone"?

We find ourselves smiling whenever "human intelligence" crops up in conversation (thanks, A.I.). Whenever we notice retronyms, we’re reminded of their value. First, retronyms “timestamp” progress - the very need for a term like "landline phone" marks the moment when wireless technology revolutionized our communication. Second, retronyms create clarity; imagine having to say "the guitar you don't plug in" every time you wanted to borrow an acoustic guitar. Finally, and perhaps most for us seniors, each retronym serves as a tiny linguistic memorial to simpler times, when one word sufficed because there was only one version to discuss.

It sounds paradoxical, but as our technology races forward, we sometimes need to glance backward to make sense of where we're going.

Helga & Paul Smith

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TOP 10 RETRONYMS

"Analog game" (vs video/digital game)
Used for board games, card games, and other non-digital entertainment

"Analog Watch" (vs digital watch)
Differentiates traditional watches with hands from digital displays

"Human-generated" (vs AI)
Increasingly needed to specify content, art, writing, or code created by humans rather than AI

"In-person" (vs remote/virtual)
Still heavily used post-pandemic to specify face-to-face meetings, events, or classes

"Legacy media" (vs digital/social media)
Referring to traditional newspapers, TV, and radio

"Manual driving" (vs autonomous)
Growing in usage as self-driving vehicles become more common

"Natural Light" (vs artificial light)
Specifies sunlight, distinguishing it from artificial lighting sources

"Offline store" (vs online)
Still commonly used to distinguish physical retail locations from e-commerce

"Paper book" (vs ebook)
Remains highly used as digital reading continues to grow

"Real-life" (vs virtual)
The most common retronym of 2024, used constantly to distinguish physical experiences from digital/metaverse interactions

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SYNONYMS

alternative label, backdated term, backward name, coined distinction, differentiated name, distinctive label, evolved term, explanatory term, historical name, linguistic adjustment, modified name, modernized term, name update, new descriptor, nomenclatural revision, past-focused term, rebranded name, redefined term, renamed category, RETRONYM, retrospective label, retrostyled name, revisionary term, semantic shift, updated label

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SMUGGLE OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

"RETRONYMS like 'black-and-white TV' remind us how far entertainment has come."

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THANKS to Naomi for suggesting today’s word.

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P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D

On evenings and weekends, I research and write your daily OWAD newsletter together with Helga—my lovely wife and coaching partner, and our eagle-eyed daughter, Jennifer.

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