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
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...
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...