It’s a curious word, eponymous, with its usage and meaning often slightly misunderstood. Roseanne, Yes, Asperger, and Christian Dior: these are all eponymous names — of a TV show, a record album, an autism spectrum disorder, and a fashion label. What makes them eponymous? They’re all named after the person who founded, created, inspired or discovered them. (And just to confuse matters, those four people are also — by its stricter definition — eponymous.)

So it’s correct to call it “Roseanne’s eponymous show”, or “Yes’s eponymous album”.

But here’s the rub: the show and album are eponymous only in the context of their namesakes. Continue reading →