2006-09-19 19:10:31 · 4 answers · asked by Crazy Horse 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
It's called a "genericized trademark"
Details:
"A genericized trademark (or genericised trade mark or genericized trade mark, see spelling differences), sometimes known as a generic trade mark, generic descriptor or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name which is often used as the colloquial description for a particular type of product or service as a result of widespread popular or cultural usage. Where a genericized trademark becomes or replaces the common term for a product or service, the mark has become generic. Escalator and Thomas Edison's mimeograph are classic examples.
"A trademark typically becomes "genericized" when the products or services with which it is associated have acquired substantial market dominance or mind share. However, a trademark may still become genericized in the absence of significant market share through mechanisms such as viral marketing."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genericized_trademark#Former_trademarks_now_used_generically
List of examples, including bandaid,linoleum,Xerox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_generic_and_genericized_trademarks
2006-09-19 20:27:42 · answer #1 · answered by bruhaha 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
linguistic evolution ? I don't think there's one word for it. A related situation is where (when) the proprietary becomes the generic, e.g. band-aid.
2006-09-20 11:59:46 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Proprietary eponyms
2006-09-19 19:16:35 · answer #3 · answered by holden 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The word becomes associated with it so many times...
2006-09-19 19:19:03 · answer #4 · answered by always under siege 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋