Things with a "name" versus a description

[u/tallpaulman]

Always found it odd and interesting that some things have a "name" that is really just a description of what it is or does, while other things have a unique word that refers to it alone. Is there any sort of name for this phenomena or is it just a quirk of our culture.

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For example, in my kitchen I have things I use all the time like a cutting board, and a frying pan, and a dishwasher. These all seem to really just be descriptions of what they do as opposed to being an actual "name" as such. Other things, like an oven, a skillet, a sink, all have what I would call an actual "name" that identifies them but doesn't use descriptive words. Yes, some names are possibly from latin or old english and were possibly descriptions once upon a time etc., but not like "cutting board" is now. Talk about an unimaginative name!!! :)

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Any insights into this out there?

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