nomen est omen
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Latin[edit]
Etymology[edit]
The origin of this saying is attributed to the Roman playwright Plautus. In his play “Persa” the slave Toxilus lures his owner, Dordalus, to buy an expensive slave-girl named Lucris (“profits”), saying, “Nōmen atque ōmen quantīvīs iam est pretī” (“The name and the omen are worth any price”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈnoː.men est ˈoː.men/, [ˈnoːmɛn ɛs̠t̪ ˈoːmɛn]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈno.men est ˈo.men/, [ˈnɔːmen ɛst̪ ˈɔːmen]
Proverb[edit]
- The name is a sign, the name speaks for itself.
Descendants[edit]
- → Finnish: nimi on enne (calque) (name is a sign)
- → Polish: nomen omen