Thursday, November 17, 2016
First retronym?
From a 1919 electrical trade journal, the very first announcement of an electrical refrigerator for home use.
Note the quotes and socalleds and clumsy terminology. Also note the lack of prophetic boosterism; the authors clearly didn't place much confidence in this development. The glass doors were a good idea that later disappeared. You could see what's in the box without wasting cold by opening it.
Reminds us that refrigerator meant an icebox until the iceless refrigerator was familiar. Around 1940 the iceless version became plain refrigerator and the iced version became icebox. Was this the first retronym?
From the same journal:
Showing the reader how to make and use a retronym!
Note the quotes and socalleds and clumsy terminology. Also note the lack of prophetic boosterism; the authors clearly didn't place much confidence in this development. The glass doors were a good idea that later disappeared. You could see what's in the box without wasting cold by opening it.
Reminds us that refrigerator meant an icebox until the iceless refrigerator was familiar. Around 1940 the iceless version became plain refrigerator and the iced version became icebox. Was this the first retronym?
From the same journal:
Showing the reader how to make and use a retronym!Labels: Language update
¶ 12:50 AM
