| paronyms |
| Definition:
Words that
derive from the same etymological roots. Note: words that exhibit this quality are described as paronymous. |
| Example: farther and further, collision and collusion, and affect and effect |
| Etymology: The word derives from the Greek paronumos, derivative (from para, beside + onuma, name). |
| Oxford English Dictionary: The first OED citation for the word paronymous is from 1661: "Paronymous (Gr.), pertaining to words or terms that have denomination from the same thing, but differ in case or termination." (Blount Glossogr. (ed. 2)) |