Words that have the same pattern of consonants, such as BeTRaY and oBiTuaRY, euTHaNaSia and aTHeNS, SPoNGe and eSPioNaGe, KNoW and oKiNaWa, iCHNeuMoN and CHiNaMan, and oRCHeSTRa and RoCHeSTeR, are known as consonyms

Richards, Dana

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217 THE MOST FECUND CONSONYMS DANA RICHARDS Charlottesville, Virginia Words that have the same pattern of consonants, such as BeTRaY and oBiTuaRY, euTHaNaSia and aTHeNS, SPoNGe and eSPioNaGe, KNoW and oKiNaWa, iCHNeuMoN and CHiNaMan, and oRCHeSTRa and Ro­CHeSTeR, are known as consonyms. One can distinguish between strict consonyms, in which Y is regarded as a consonant, and per­missive consonyms, in which Y is a vowel. Little study has been made of consonym groups. Consonym groups based on two, three or four consonants are numerous, but for six or more they become somewha t rare. What is the largest number of consonants in a con­sonym pair co;nsisting of two essentially different words, not mere­ly variant spellings, inflections and the like? This article proposes that the consonant-pair LN produces a lar­ger number of consonyms than any other. If one considers words from the first, second or third editions of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, there are at least 100 such words (those with ,,< from the Gazetteer, and with + from the Biography): Aa len "I, aline ileon Ie no lone 1inie Aelana* aln llian Leon loon Ael ian+ aloin ilion Leona loun Aeolian alone Laane'" leone Luian aeoline Aulon* lain Leonia * Luini+ aeolina Eileen laine Leuna Luino* Aialon elaein Ian liana luna Aileen elaeine lana lien Luni * aionial elain Lanai ,,< lienee lune Alain+ ela ine Lanao li in Olean* alan elan lane lin oleana alana Elean Laon* lina olein alane Elena lauan line olen alani Elian laun linea olena Aleian Eliena i lean lino Olin alen Elioena i leen lion Olinia alien eloin Len loan olona aliene Elon lena loanee ulan alienee Eolian Lenaea loin ulna alin llano lene Lon ulnae In addition, the well-known given name Loni (as in Loni Anderson) exi sts. More tentatively, this article suggests that BRN and SPRT are the most fecund choices among consonant-triples or consonant-quad­ruples, respectively. No doubt those having Webster's Second on tape can ql many words (usually bel, by hand: Abaran Abaron aberne abiron aborne abourne Abran abrin abron Abronia abrune aburn auburn Baarn* bairn bairnie barauna barin asperate asperite aspirata aspiratae aspirate asport asprout esparto Note that thE 1ist. The wor two-word phrc 218 tape can quickly identify potentially better combinations: however, many words must still be laboriously dug out of the dictionary (usually be low the line) as well as the Gazetteer and the Biography by hand: Abaran barn Boran bran Bruno Abaron barne Borana Braun buran aberne Boranaibaron brauna Burano abiron Baronio+ Borani Braune Burauen ,~ aborne Barouni borean bren burian abourne Bearn* boreen Brian burin.h as BeTRaY Abran beearn borine brin burion:>NaGe, KNoW abrin berain born brine burn'Ra and Ro­	 abron Beraun-;" Borna ,', brinie burnielish between Abronia Berean borne Brioni* eburinent, and per­ abrune	 Borneobern	 broon eburndy has been	 aburn berne Bornu ~, broun Eburna 1 two, three	 auburn Berni+ boron bruin 1berianthey become	 Baarn ,~ Boroniaberun	 Brun+ obarneinIts a con­	 bairn birn bourn brune obarniIs, not mere­ bairnie Birni bourne Bruneau+ Oberon barauna brainBiron	 Brunei * 0 ' Brien+ barinduces a lar­siders words asperate esprit soap root spirit sproat; Unabridged asperite Espirito* soporate spirt sprootwith from-k	 aspirata Espiritu* spart sport sprotaspiratae sap rot Sparta sprat sprout linie aspirate seaport spera te spret spruit asport separata sperit sprit spurt asprout separate spirate spri te superate n esparto i+ Note that the common nickname Bernie can be added to the first o'~ list. The words Espirito and Espiritu are only found as parts of two-word phrases, Espirito Santo and Espiritu Santo. * n* '1a I 3. ia 3. e 1i Anderson) nd SPRT are sonant-quad­s Second on 

The Most Fecund Consonyms

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The Most Fecund Consonyms

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