nominalis

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [noː.mɪˈnaː.lɪs]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [no.miˈnaː.lis]^[1]

Forms

nōminālis (neuter nōmināle); third-declension two-termination adjective^[1]

Etymology

It is from nōmen “name” with the suffix -ālis.^[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first source is Varro, whom he dates 116–27 BC, and Varro has nōminālis gentīlitās, kinship of names.^[4][5][6]

Semantic evolution

It meant of a name or of nouns.^[2][5] Lewis & Short note it is ante- and post-classical, and Tertullian has the Nōminālia, the day on which a child was named.^[6]

British Medieval Latin used it of nouns in grammar, as in Roger Bacon.^[7] Medieval philosophers called the followers of nominalism nōminālēs.^[4] It gave English nominal in the mid-15th century, “pertaining to nouns”.^[3]

Timeline

• 116–27 BC – Varro uses it.^[4][5]
• mid-15th century – English nominal is recorded.^[3]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Of a name; of nouns, nominal.^[2][5]

Related words

• nōmen
• nōminō
• English nominal

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ a b c d Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b Gaffiot, Félix (2016), Dictionnaire latin-français, new ed. by Gérard Gréco et al. (Gaffiot 2016), online ed.
7. ^ Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press