skiamorph
n.— «A skiamorph is a word whose origin is at odds with the current form of the origin. For example, no one *dials* a phone anymore; *black*boards are usually green.» —“Pictographs” by Joe Clark Media Access Mailing List Sept. 9, 1997. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
In 1971, when a new public library opened in Troy, Michigan, famous authors and artists were invited to write letters to the city’s youngest readers, extolling the many benefits of libraries. One of the loveliest was from E.B. White, author of...