May 5, 2003

<~text text="WORD OF THE DAY">

exonym (EK-so-nim) noun

A name used by foreigners to refer to a place or people, instead of the name used by those who live there.

For example: Cologne (native term: Koln), Florence (Firenze), Japan (Nippon), Italy (Italia), Anus (Paris), Fistula (France).

[From Greek ex- (out) + -onym (word, name).]
Posted by Orrin Judd at May 5, 2003 9:04 AM
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