textonym
n.— «Meg Kingston introduces us to the textonym. That’ll be the set of words generated by a particular sequence of key presses on a mobile phone, when the phone’s software is predicting what word you want. For example, keys 2-2-4-3 can signify ache, acid or cage. Press 7-4-6-6-3-7 for phones, simmer and sinner.» —“Strange but true tales from the world of science” New Scientist Dec. 4, 2004. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
We tend to take the index of a book for granted, but centuries ago, these helpful lists were viewed with suspicion. Some even worried that indexes would harm reading comprehension! A witty new book tells the story. Plus, the Latin term bona fides...
If you take up texting and social media late in life, there’s a lot to learn! A twenty-something wants advice getting her dad up to speed on memes, Instagram, and animated images. Plus, when you’re on a long road trip, what do you call...