What best describes a retronym?

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Prepare for the AQA A-level English Language Test. Study with interactive quizzes on language change, complete with detailed explanations. Get ahead in your exam preparation today!

Multiple Choice

What best describes a retronym?

Explanation:
Retronyms arise when a new version exists and people need to talk about the older one distinctly, so a fresh label is created for the older form. For example, after digital cameras became common, people started saying “film camera” to distinguish it from the new digital kind. This shows a new term being created specifically to differentiate the older version from the newer one. So the best description is that a retronym is a new term created to distinguish an older form from newer versions. It isn’t about slang, borrowing from another language, or simply replacing an obsolete term.

Retronyms arise when a new version exists and people need to talk about the older one distinctly, so a fresh label is created for the older form. For example, after digital cameras became common, people started saying “film camera” to distinguish it from the new digital kind. This shows a new term being created specifically to differentiate the older version from the newer one.

So the best description is that a retronym is a new term created to distinguish an older form from newer versions. It isn’t about slang, borrowing from another language, or simply replacing an obsolete term.

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