German deonyms by alphabet

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A deonym is a word derived from a proper name (e.g. the name of a person or a place). This proper name (namesake) is then called eponym .

This list includes both real eponyms in the sense of linguistics as well as various more well-known pseudo-eponyms (pure appraisals and designations according to inventor / discoverer and the like).

A.

term Surname Remarks
Achilles heel Achilles Greek hero in the Iliad . His mother Thetis tried to make him invulnerable. The place on the heel where she held it in her hand remained the only vulnerable place.
Adidas Adi Dassler Sports shoe manufacturer, after his nickname "Adi" and the first three letters of his family name
academy Academos ancient Greek hero , whose grove Plato made the first "philosophical garden"
algorithm Al-Khwarizmi Author of an Arabic textbook "About calculating with Indian numerals"
Alwegbahn Axel Leonard Wenner-Gren First letter of the name of A xel L eonard We nner- G ren
Alzheimer Alois Alzheimer Neurologist and neuropathologist
America Amerigo Vespucci Named by a German geographer
Amp André-Marie Ampère
Archimedean principle Archimedes
Apgar score Virginia Apgar today often understood as an acronym
Eagle eyes Argos All-seer in Greek mythology, a monster with a hundred eyes all over his body
Thread of ariadne Ariadne from Greek mythology
Asperger's Hans Asperger Austrian child psychologist
Audi August Horch Latin translation of the family name Horch
August Augustus The Roman Emperor Augustus had his first 43 in this month of the year consulate begun
Auerbach salto Wilhelm Auerbach (1835–1880), German gymnastics and fencing teacher
Axel Axel Paulsen Jump in figure skating

B.

term Surname Remarks
Bach flowers Edward Bach English doctor
Baedeker Karl Baedeker Travel literature publisher, revolutionized travel literature to make users independent of tourist guides
Bandoneon Heinrich Band
Barras Paul de Barras unknown in France, probably derived from Yiddish: “baras”, a type of flatbread
Béchamel sauce Louis Béchamel
Beckmesserei Sixtus Beck knife petty, pedantic critic in the Wagner opera " Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg "
begonia Michel Bégon
Benedictine Benedict of Nursia
Becquerel Antoine Henri Becquerel
Berlitz language schools Maximilian Delphinius Berlitz
St. Bernard Bernhard von Menthon Avalanche dog on the Great St. Bernhard
Bessemer pear Henry Bessemer
Districts Kirke Kirke (Latin Circe) is a sorceress of Greek mythology, enchants the companions of Odysseus
Bircher muesli Maximilian Oskar Bircher-Benner Whole foods pioneer
Bismarck herring Otto von Bismarck German Chancellor: " If herring were just as expensive as caviar, people would appreciate it far more. "
Bosch horn Robert Bosch
Bougainvillea Louis Antoine de Bougainville
Bowie knife Jim Bowie
boycott Charles Cunningham Boycott Real estate manager in Ireland whose behavior towards tenants resulted in no one wanting to work for him or do business with him
Braille Louis Braille Teacher for the blind
Braun tube Karl Ferdinand Braun
Brockhaus Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus
Browning John Moses Browning
Büchmann Georg Büchmann Editor of the book " Winged Words "
Kippers Willem Beukelsz
Bullrich Salt August Wilhelm Bullrich
Bunsen burner Robert Wilhelm Bunsen

C.

term Surname Remarks
Cadillac Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac
Casanova Giacomo Girolamo Casanova
Celsius Different Celsius Swedish astronomer, mathematician and physicist, defined the temperature classification named after him in 1742
chauvinism Nicolas Chauvin exaggeratedly patriotic recruit who served in Napoléon Bonaparte's army and was wounded 17 times
Chippendale furniture Thomas Chippendale
Chrysler Walter Percy Chrysler
Colt Samuel Colt
cook Thomas Cook Travel agency named after the tourism pioneer who organized the first Nile cruises in Luxor, which are considered a milestone in the history of mass tourism
Coriolis force Gaspard Gustave de Coriolis
Coulomb Charles Augustin de Coulomb
curie Pierre Curie and Marie Curie

D.

term Surname Remarks
dahlia Andreas Dahl
Darwinism Charles Darwin
David deer Armand David
Daviscup Dwight Filley Davis
Derby Edward, Earl of Derby
diesel Rudolf Diesel
Disneyland Walt Disney
Doberman Pinscher Friedrich Louis Dobermann Dobermann worked as a night policeman, court clerk, skinner, dog tax collector and dog catcher and needed a sharp working dog for personal protection.
Don juan Juan de Tenorio
Doppler effect Christian Doppler
Douglas fir David Douglas
Draisine Karl Freiherr Drais von Sauerbronn
Draconic Dracon Law reformer, signed around the year 621 BC. All criminal provisions known in Athens
Duden Konrad Duden

E.

term Surname Remarks
Eduscho Eduard Schopf founded the coffee roaster Eduscho, which today Tchibo belongs
Eiffel Tower Gustave Eiffel An ancestor from the 17th century comes from the Eifel.
Awakening Johannes Weck Preservation through sterilization
Elisen Gingerbread Elise Haeberlein Nuremberg town girl
Euler's number Leonhard Euler

F.

term Surname Remarks
Fahrenheit Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit
farad Michael Faraday
Faraday cage Michael Faraday
Ferrari Enzo Ferrari
ford Henry Ford American industrialist
Fordism Henry Ford American industrialist
Forsythia William Forsyth
Fraunhofer Society Joseph from Fraunhofer German optician and physicist
Pious Julius Fromm
fuchsia Leonhard Fuchs
Fürst Pückler ice cream Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau allowed his Branitz pastry chef to sell the ice cream to park visitors in order to generate income to finance the park

G

term Surname Remarks
Gal Galileo Galilei Italian astronomer and physicist
Gallup George Gallup
Electroplate Luigi Galvani Italian physicist
Gauss Carl Friedrich Gauss
Geiger counter Hans Geiger German physicist
Gervais Charles Gervais
Gienger somersault Eberhard Gienger Flight element in apparatus gymnastics
gobelin Gilles tapestry
Gordian knot Gordios artfully knotted ropes that were attached to King Gordios' chariot by the gods
Goretex Wilbert Gore
Gregorian calendar Gregory XIII. Pope who had the calendar adjusted
guillotine Joseph-Ignace Guillotin Opponent of the death penalty, suggested a form of execution as a temporary solution, in which a machine " painlessly decapitates "
guppy Lechmere Guppy

H

term Surname Remarks
Halley's Comet Edmund Halley discovered in 1705 that the celestial body observed in 1682 must be identical to previous comet appearances, and correctly predicted a return for 1759
Hammond organ Laurens Hammond
Haribo Hans Riegel , Bonn Confectionery manufacturer
Hartz IV Peter Hartz Head of Commission "* Modern Services on the Labor Market *", former Volkswagen Board Member for Human Resources
Harvard University John Harvard bequeathed his library, which contained 320 volumes, to the college in the neighboring town of Cambridge
hertz Heinrich Hertz
Hoffmann drops Friedrich Hoffmann
Honda Soichiro Honda
Humboldt Current Alexander von Humboldt German researcher

I.

term Surname Remarks
Immelmann Max Immelmann German fighter pilot in the First World War

J

term Surname Remarks
Joules James Prescott Joule English physicist, early suspected the existence of an equivalence of mechanical work and heat (mechanical heat equivalent)
July Gaius Iulius Caesar Caesar's month of birth

K

term Surname Remarks
Emperor Julius Caesar originally a Latin family name
Caesarean section Julius Caesar according to Pliny (nat. hist. 7, 47) the name Caesar is derived from the fact that the first bearer of this name was cut from the womb
Kalashnikov Mikhail Kalashnikov
propeller shaft Gerolamo Cardano
Kelvin William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin
Keynesianism John Maynard Keynes
Kneipp cure Sebastian Kneipp
Etiquette Adolph Freiherr von Knigge Author of the book " About dealing with people "
Simmer directory Ludwig Ritter von Köchel wrote a " chronological-thematic directory of all music works by Wolfgang Amadé Mozart "
Kolping Society Adolph Kolping
Cyrillic script Cyril of Salonica

L.

term Surname Remarks
Langerhans Islands Paul Langerhans
hospital Lazarus Friend of Jesus Christ, raised from death by him
Leitz folder Louis Leitz
Leninism Wladímir Iljítsch Uljánow, called Lenin
Levi's Levi Strauss
Advertising pillar Ernst Litfass
Ludolf number Ludolf van Ceulen
sumptuous Lucius Licinius Lucullus
Lumbar pelvis Emil Lumbeck Perfect binding in book production
Lutz Alois Lutz Jump in figure skating
Lynch Charles Lynch Judge who had both English loyalists and alleged criminals punished without due process in the American Revolutionary War
Lyceum Apollo Lykeios a grove dedicated to Apollon Lykeios and a gymnasium near Athens

M.

term Surname Remarks
Maggi Julius Maggi
magnolia Pierre Magnol
Attic François Mansart
Maoism Mao Zedong
Marshall Plan George Catlett Marshall
Marxism Karl Marx
masochism Leopold von Sacher-Masoch
mausoleum Maussollos Persian satrap in Asia Minor his tomb, the mausoleion, is one of the seven wonders of the world
Maxwell's equations James Clerk Maxwell
patron Gaius Cilnius Maecenas tried unsuccessfully in poetry and promoted young poets
Melitta Melitta Bentz Inventor of the coffee filter
Mendelian rules Gregor Mendel
mentor mentor Friend of Odysseus and protector of his son Telemachos, experienced person who acts as an advisor
Mercedes Mercédès Jellinek Patron saint of the automobile brand and the Hotel Mercedes in Paris.
Molotow cocktail Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov Used by Finnish soldiers in 1939/40 based on the Soviet Foreign Minister at the time, who was held responsible for the invasion of Finland
Morse code Samuel Morse
Mössbauer effect Rudolf Moessbauer
Mozartkugel Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

N

term Surname Remarks
Neanderthal Joachim Neander Valley of the Düssel river near Mettmann, where Neander often composed and held services
Fog lights Rudolf Nebel
Nescafé Henri Nestlé
Nestor Nestor Hero of Greek mythology, united age wisdom, eloquence, honesty and serene art of living
Newton Isaac Newton
nicotine Jean Nicot introduced tobacco as a medicinal plant in France
Nissenhütte Peter Norman Nissen Corrugated iron hut with a round roof developed for the British army by Peter Norman Nissen
Nobel Prize Alfred Nobel
Nordmann fir Alexander von Nordmann Finnish zoologist, botanist and paleontologist

O

term Surname Remarks
Öchsle , Oechsle Ferdinand Oechsle Inventor of the must and wine scales
ohm Georg Simon Ohm
masturbation Onan biblical figure
Gasoline engine Nikolaus August Otto Otto is not the inventor of the gasoline engine, but it has been named in his honor since 1940

P

term Surname Remarks
panic Pan Shepherd god of Greek mythology
Pappenheimer Gottfried Heinrich Graf zu Pappenheim Saying “ I know my Pappenheimer! “Was originally meant positively
Parkinson's Disease James Parkinson
Pasteurize Louis Pasteur
Pavlovian reflex Ivan Petrovich Pavlov
Porsche Ferry Porsche
Potyomkin village Grigory Alexandrovich Potemkin
Praline César de Choiseul du Plessis-Praslin
Pullman car George Mortimer Pullman
Pyrrhic victory Pyrrhus King of the Molossians, after his victory over the Romans in 279 BC. To a confidante: " One more victory and we are lost! "

Q

term Surname Remarks
quisling Vidkun Quisling Norwegian fascist politician and officer, proclaimed a provisional government, hoping to be supported by the Germans

R.

term Surname Remarks
Radetzky March Josef Wenzel Radetzky from Radetz important Austrian military leader in the first half of the 19th century
Raiffeisen Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen
Reuters Paul Julius Reuter
Richter scale Charles Francis Richter
Ricola Emil Wilhelm Richterich Ri chterich & Co . La ufen , confectionery and tea manufacturer
Rittberger Werner Rittberger Jump in figure skating
Black locust Jean Robin
roentgen Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen physicist

S.

term Surname Remarks
Sachertorte Franz Sacher
sadism Donatien-Alphonse-François de Sade French nobleman and author of partly pornographic, partly philosophical books
Salchow Ulrich Salchow Jump in figure skating
sandwich John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich English nobleman, invented the sandwich to be able to eat while working / gambling
saxophone Adolphe Sax
Schrammelmusik Johann Schrammel
shrapnel Henry Shrapnel
Allotment garden Moritz Schreber
Schroth cure Johann Schroth
Schwannoma Theodor Schwann
Gunpowder Berthold Schwarz
silhouette Etienne de Silhouette
Sorbonne Robert de Sorbon
Stalinism Iosseb Bessarionis dze Jughashvili, known as Stalin
Stepography Helmut Stief German press and parliamentary stenographer (1906–1977); published a very easy and quick to learn shorthand system in the 1960s
Stirling engine Robert Stirling Scottish clergyman and engineer
Stresemann Gustav Stresemann German politician
Sütterlin Ludwig Sütterlin Graphic artist

T

term Surname Remarks
teddy bear Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a tethered bear baby
Tesla Nikola Tesla
Tesla coil Nikola Tesla
Thatcherism Margaret Thatcher former British Prime Minister
Thomas flour Sidney Gilchrist Thomas
Thomasstahl Sidney Gilchrist Thomas
Thonet chair Michael Thonet
Titoism Josip Broz Tito

U

term Surname Remarks
Uzi Uzi Gal Israeli weapons designer and army officer

V

term Surname Remarks
Corruption Johann Balhorn Lübeck Buchdrucker, published an edition of the Lübeck city law, which contained errors that distorted the meaning
volt Alessandro Volta

W.

term Surname Remarks
Wal-Mart Sam Walton The name is derived from the name of the founder (Walton's Mart).
Rotary engine Felix Wankel
watt James Watt Scottish inventor, improved the steam engine

Y

term Surname Remarks
Yale University Elihu Yale donated the proceeds from the sale of nine bales of goods and 417 books to the Collegiate School in Saybrook, as well as school equipment and a painting of the British King George I.

Z

term Surname Remarks
Zeppelin Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin General and airship designer

literature

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