Is there a literary term for two words that rhyme and are joined by a hyphen? Hurdy-gurdy, Jelly-Belly etc?

Answer 1

As has been mentioned, the general term for this way of forming words is "reduplication" and the results are "reduplicative compounds" .

But reduplication can take several forms, including precise repetition (such as "so-so", which is also called a "tautonym").

Words which use the specific type you mention -- in which the form is repeated with a change in one sound/letter-- are sometimes called "RICHOCHET words". Many of these rhyme (that is, when the FIRST part is different); others do not ("mish-mash", "wishy-washy", "tick-tock", "chit-chat", "flim-flam").

I suppose if you want to specify more narrowly you could call "hurdy-gurdy" a "rhyming richochet word" or a "rhyming reduplicative compound".

Discussions (including examples):
http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19991019
http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-hig1.htm
http://www.bartleby.com/81/14185.html

Answer 2

Here's a few: Ale - Ail Air - Err Ail - Isle Plum - Plumb Naval - Navel Paced - Paste Rain - Rein Brewed - Brood Buy - Bye Aye - Eye Ceiling - Sealing Senses - Census Eight - Ate Base - Bass Bouy - Boy Sword - Soared Some - Sum Vein - Vain Tracked - Tract Tease - Teas Story - Storey Suit - Soot Recede - Reseed One - Won Morning - Mourning Locks - Lochs Medal - Meddle Loan - Lone Links - Lynx Naught - Knot Lay - Lei Jam - Jamb ;-)

Answer 3

Yes, it is called reduplication. In many Australian languages, reduplication is an indication of plurality - "wagga" one crow, "wagga wagga" - many crows. There are many towns with names taken from local languages that are reduplicated -Wagga Wagga, Grong Grong, Goonoogoonoo etc. Reduplication can have many other purposes other than plurality.

In words such as hurdy gurdy, helter skelter etc, it is the rhyme that is important but the process is still reduplication.

Answer 4

I don't think there is specifically any term besides rhyme. The closest one is assonance, not alliteration.

Answer 5

alliteration