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Special adjective category

 
 
Grahfol
 
Reply Tue 7 Aug, 2018 11:18 pm
Something has been bugging me for several years. I seem to remember reading about a particular category of adjective. One that was not needed until a new adjective for the same noun came into existence.
Example 1. ‘Black and White’, referring to a television (remember them?) was not needed until colour televisions came into existence.
Example 2. ‘Landline’, referring to a fixed line telephone, was not needed until mobile phones came along.
I’m sure there must be many others, but I can’t think of them right now.
Does anyone know what the collective term for this type of adjective is? And does anyone have some more examples.
Thank you.
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Type: Question • Score: 1 • Views: 662 • Replies: 1

 
jespah
 
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Reply Wed 8 Aug, 2018 06:36 am
@Grahfol,
They're called retronyms.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retronym
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_retronyms
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