For example, Kleenex, Pampers, etc. These are all brands, but we use those names to describe all similar products. What is the term for that?
2006-11-30 05:32:14 · 5 answers · asked by spikeyblonde_22 3 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
The answerer above is correct: "Genericide" is the advertising world's term for this phenomenon. It includes the suffix -cide (from the Latin "cidium" = act of killing) because, from the brand-owner's perspective, extending the brand name to all similar products effectively "kills" the brand's unique value.
However, "genericide" is a recent linguistic invention. According to Wikipedia:
"The terms "genericide" and "genericized trademark" are not terms of art; legally, "genericide" is a malapropism. Alternative terms have been suggested by various commentators, such as "genericization" or "trademarkicide", "brand eponym" and "proprietary eponym". These latter terms and the term "genericized trademark" have not yet been used in legal literature whereas "genericide" has.
2006-11-30 06:01:40 · answer #1 · answered by blalskdja 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think you mean when a brand name becomes so popular it is instiled as a common household name and overtakes the actually name of the product or object. I don't believe that there is a term for that other than being a generalization.
2006-11-30 05:36:00 · answer #2 · answered by James M 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the term is generic.
2006-11-30 06:00:31 · answer #3 · answered by David P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've heard a few terms to describe it: genericide, synecdoches, eponyms
2006-11-30 05:37:22 · answer #4 · answered by M C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not sure, but I think the term might be "generification". It happened to Xerox, and "Aspirin", among others.
2006-11-30 05:40:24 · answer #5 · answered by Paul H 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋