the.com/eponym
when a person gets so famous their name becomes a common noun.
means a word derived from the name of a real or fictional person, often the highest honor and the fastest way to lose control of your legacy.
from from greek eponymos, meaning giving one's name to something, from epi (upon) plus onyma (name) — the greeks used it for gods and heroes whose names cities and years were dedicated to.
reverse processback-formation: sandwich earl never made a sandwich company
medical ironymany eponymous diseases named for describers, not sufferers
trademark deathescalator and aspirin lost brand status to genericization
self-namingnarcissism comes from narcissus, a myth, not a man
for instance
boycott — captain charles boycott, shunned by irish tenants in 1880
sandwich — john montagu, 4th earl of sandwich, wanted food while gambling
guillotine — joseph-ignace guillotin proposed it for humane executions in 1789
nicotine — jean nicot introduced tobacco to france in the 1560s