The Retronym Game

[Shangas]

Thought this might be something fun to do. An exploration, if you will, of the history of the English language and how much it has changed over the years.

Synonym - A word that is the same in meaning as another.
Antonym - A word that is the opposite in meaning of another.
Retronym - A word that has been modified after a newer term was invented.

As time goes by, new words replace old words and old words change to reflect this replacement. How many retronyms can you think of?

Here's a few I thought up...

Word: Watch.
New word: Wristwatch.
Retronym: Pocket watch.

Word: Fountain Pen.
New word: Ballpoint pen.
Retronym: "Ink" pen (apparently modern pens write with a viscious, atrificially coloured liquid of unknown provenance and obscure title...but not ink).

Word: Razor.
New word: Safety razor.
Retronym: Straight-razor.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Word: Radio
Antonym: FM Radio
Retronym: AM Radio

Word: Bottle
Antonym: No Deposit-No Return Bottle
Retronym: Returnable Bottle

Word: Movie
Antonym: Talking Movie
Retronym: Silent Movie

 

[Wire9Vintage]

Word: Farm
Antonym: Factory Farm
Retronym: Family Farm

 

[Doctor Strange]

Word: guitar
Antonym: electric guitar
Retronym: acoustic guitar

 

[Mid-fogey]

Okay...

...I'm in.

Word: pen.
New word: fountain pen.
Retronym: quill pen (or dip pen)

BTW it may be that "ink pen" comes from confusion over mispronunciation. Some people pronounce the words “pen” and “pin” the same way. Adding “ink” clarifies what you are talking about. I’ve noted that in areas where the pronunciation is differentiated, the word “ink” is rarely used as a clarifying term.

 

[kitfrances]

Word(s): Shopping bag
Antonym: Plastic bag
Retronym: Paper bag

Perhaps (and hopefully) soon it will be:

Word(s): Shopping bag
Antonym: 'Green' bag
Retronym: Plastic bag

 

[Atomic Age]

Word(s): Camera
Antonym: Digital Camera
Retronym: Film Camera

 

[Atomic Age]

Word(s): Shopping bag
Antonym: 'Green' bag
Retronym: Plastic bag

Interestingly in communities that have removed plastic shopping bags (or any bags for that matter) from stores, people simply buy more plastic bags, and they end up in landfills anyway.

Doug

 

[Shangas]

This one is probably debatable, but...

Word: Suit.
New Word: Two Piece Suit.
Retronym: Three-piece Suit.

 

[Geesie]

...I'm in.

Word: pen.
New word: fountain pen.
Retronym: quill pen (or dip pen)

BTW it may be that "ink pen" comes from confusion over mispronunciation. Some people pronounce the words “pen” and “pin” the same way. Adding “ink” clarifies what you are talking about. I’ve noted that in areas where the pronunciation is differentiated, the word “ink” is rarely used as a clarifying term.

This is so. "ink pen" is almost only found in regions where the "pin/pen" merger has completed - which is mostly the American South and parts of the lower Midlands.

 

[Derek WC]

Word: Telephone
Antonym: Cell phone
Retronym: Radial-Dial telephone

I'm not sure how much that works though.

 

[Diamondback]

Back in pre-cellular days it was:
Antonym = touch-tone phone
Retronym = rotary phone

 

[Yeps]

Word: Phone
Neonym: Cell Phone
Retronym: Land line/house phone.

Word: Shirt
Neonym: T-shirt
Retronym: dress shirt/button up.

not so golden age...
Word: Computer
New Word: Personal Computer
Retronym: Mainfraim Computer

Word: Computer (personal computer)
New Word: Laptop
Retronym: Desktop

 

[JimWagner]

not so golden age...
Word: Computer
New Word: Personal Computer
Retronym: Mainfraim Computer

Seems golden to me

 

[Nick D]

Old: airplane
New: jet airplane
Still old: propeller airplane

 

[Diamondback]

I dunno, Nick--props may be older tech, but right now they're holding their value better than jets in the General Aviation market, according to a report I just got from AOPA.

 

[HepKitty]

I dunno, Nick--props may be older tech, but right now they're holding their value better than jets in the General Aviation market, according to a report I just got from AOPA.

old doesn't always mean bad

 

[Diamondback]

old doesn't always mean bad

If I thought it did, I wouldn't be here, now would I?

 

[Derek WC]

Word: Cassette player
Antonym: CD player
Retronym: Record player

 

[vitanola]

Word: Cassette player
Antonym: CD player
Retronym: Record player

Um, the term "Record Player" or (in Dixie) "Record Machine" long pre-dates
the introduction of either the Phillips Compact Cassette or the genesis of the CD, I'm afraid.

How about :

Word: Phonograph

Antonym: Disc Phonograph

Retronym: Cylinder Phonograph