Adventures in Etymology

I have a real passion for words and one of the best things about teaching English in the age of the internet is being able to work with students and say, "I wonder if there is a specific term for that..."

Through one of these discussions I discovered the word "Chremamorphism."

Chremamorphism is a literary technique where human beings are portrayed with characteristics of inanimate objects or machines. As the opposite of personification, it often serves to dehumanize, objectify, or emphasize the rigidity, coldness, or mechanical nature of a character. Examples include describing a person as a "bulldozer" or "hard and sharp as flint".

What an amazing word! Takes me back to the days when an old friend use to call me The Machine! Long story.

Anyhow, with my rambling mind and curiosity I then stumbled across a a fascinating journal article by Rebekah C White and Anna Remington titled, "Object personification in autism: This paper will be very sad if you don't read it." It's a genuinely great read and real insight; more importantly, I am absolute sucker for a humorous research title!

I'm sure you will delighted to hear that I am currently compiling my own compilation of my favourite and weirdest literary devices. Available here soon!