quid nomen tibi est

Latin

Alternative forms

• quid nōmen tibī̆st? (phonetic spelling indicating clitisation, also called prodelision or aphaeresis)
• quod nōmen tibī̆ est? (Late Latin, Medieval Latin)

Etymology

From quid n (“what”, nominative) + nōmen n (“name”, nominative) + tibī̆ (“to you”, dative) + est (“is”). Literally meaning “what is the name to you” or “what do you have for a name?”.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /kʷidˈnoː.men ˈti.biːst/, [kʷɪnˈnoːmɛn ˈt̪ɪbiːs̠t̪] or IPA^(key): /kʷidˈnoː.men ˈti.bist/, [kʷɪnˈnoːmɛn ˈt̪ɪbɪs̠t̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /kwid ˈno.men ˈti.bi est/, [kwid̪ ˈnɔːmen ˈt̪iːbi ɛst̪]

Phrase

quid nōmen tibī̆ est?

1. what is your name?
   • c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitryon 1.1.363–4:hypotactic.com

     MERCVRIVS: Quis erus est igitur tibī?
     SOSIA: Amphitruō, quī nunc praefectust Thēbānīs legiōnibus,
     quīcum nūpta est Alcumēna... MERCVRIVS: Quid aīs?! Quid nōmen tibī est?

     MERCURY: Who's your master then?
     SOSIA: Amphitryon, who's now in command of the Theban forces,
     to whom Alcmena is married... M: You what?! What is your name?