renome

Forms

renome m (plural renomes)^[1] The oldest record, of 1456, is spelt rrenome, with the doubled ⟨rr⟩ that medieval scribes wrote for the strong r at the start of a word.^[2][3]

Etymology

Houaiss analyses it as formed in the language itself, from Portuguese re- + nome, and the Academia's DLP, Aurélio, Porto Editora, Aulete and Silva Bastos give the same analysis.^{[2][4][5][6][7]} Cunha instead takes it as an adaptation of French renom (“renown”), and DELPo sees a back-formation from the verb renomar, formed like the French noun.^[8][9]

Its counterpart in Spain is Spanish renombre, which the DLE derives from the verb renombrar.^[10]

Earliest recorded meaning

Lorenzo's chronology antedates the word to 1456, in the phrase ouujndo vosso vertuosso rrenome “hearing of your virtuous renown”, where it already means the good name that someone's deeds have won.^[3][2]

Semantic evolution

Bluteau (1712–1728) remarks that by its form the word ought to mean a second name added to a person's own, inherited or earned by a glorious deed, as fame gave Alexander the added name Magno “the Great”, and he notes that inherited renomes are worth less than those won by virtue.^[11] Morais (1789) defines it simply as a good name, good fame and reputation.^[12] Vieira (1871–1874) describes it as the opinion the public holds of a person or thing, usually taken in a good sense.^[13] The modern dictionaries keep the senses “renown, fame” and “good reputation, credit”.^[2][4][14] The adjective renomado “renowned” is a 20th-century derivative.^[8]

Timeline

• 1456 – rrenome in a text cited by Lorenzo.^[3][2]
• 1712–1728 – Bluteau discusses the word and its proper sense of an added name.^[11]
• 1789 – Morais defines it as good name and good fame.^[12]
• 20th century – first record of the derivative renomado.^[8]

Meanings

Noun

1. renown, fame: the wide and favourable opinion that a person wins through uncommon deeds or qualities: um médico de grande renome.^[2][4][1]
2. Good reputation, crédito, good name.^[5][14][15]
3. Celebrity, glory (celebridade, glória): the state of being famous.^[4][6]

Word family

• renomado

Related words

• nome
• French renom
• Spanish renombre

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. renome
3. ^ a b c Instituto da Lingua Galega, Dicionario de dicionarios do galego medieval (DDGM), ed. Ernesto González Seoane, Santiago de Compostela: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, https://ilg.usc.gal/ddgm, p. s.v. renome
4. ^ a b c d Academia das Ciências de Lisboa, Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, revised online edition (2023–) of the Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa Contemporânea (2001), https://dicionario.acad-ciencias.pt, p. s.v. renome
5. ^ a b Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. renome
6. ^ a b Porto Editora (2013), Grande Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, Porto: Porto Editora, p. 7988
7. ^ Silva Bastos, José Timóteo da (1912), Diccionario etymologico, prosodico e orthographico da lingua portugueza, Lisboa: Parceria António Maria Pereira, p. s.v. renome
8. ^ a b c Cunha, Antônio Geraldo da (2010), Dicionário etimológico da língua portuguesa, 4th ed., Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, p. s.v. renome
9. ^ NEHiLP – Núcleo de Apoio à Pesquisa em Etimologia e História da Língua Portuguesa, Universidade de São Paulo, DELPo: Dicionário Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa (online database), p. s.v. renome
10. ^ Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. renombre
11. ^ a b Bluteau, Raphael (1712–1728), Vocabulario portuguez e latino, 8 vols. + 2 supplement vols., Coimbra / Lisboa (CLP transcription, Universidade de Aveiro), p. s.v. renome
12. ^ a b Silva, António de Morais (1789), Diccionario da lingua portugueza composto pelo padre D. Rafael Bluteau, reformado, e accrescentado, 2 vols., Lisboa: Simão Thaddeo Ferreira, p. 2, 322
13. ^ Vieira, Frei Domingos (1871–1874), Grande Diccionario Portuguez ou Thesouro da lingua portugueza, 5 vols., Porto: Ernesto Chardron e Bartholomeu H. de Moraes, p. 5, 205
14. ^ a b Michaelis: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, São Paulo: Melhoramentos (online as Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa, https://michaelis.uol.com.br), p. s.v. renome
15. ^ Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa, Lisboa: Priberam Informática, https://dicionario.priberam.org, p. s.v. renome