name English · revision 1793

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 725 (Beowulf)|origins=ine-pro *no-men-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /neɪm/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The noun is [[inh|enm|name]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(AHD) [[inh|ang|nama]], [[m|ang|noma|t=name, reputation]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(COED 2004) from [[gem-pro|*namô]],^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline) from [[ine-pro|*no-men-|t=name]].^(Etymonline)^(AHD 2000) Its Germanic cognates include [[ofs|nama]], [[osx|namo]], [[nl|naam]], [[goh|namo]] (modern [[de|Name]]), [[non|nafn]] and [[got|𐌽𐌰𐌼𐍉|tr=namō]];^(Barnhart 1995)^(Etymonline)^(SOED 2002) outside Germanic it is related to [[la|nōmen]], [[grc|ὄνομα|tr=ónoma]], [[sa|नामन्|tr=nā́man]], [[sga|ainm]], [[cy|enw]], [[cu|имѧ|tr=imę]], [[xcl|անուն|tr=anun]] and [[hit|lāman]].^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986)^(MWU 2024) Barnhart notes that the variety of forms suggests a vowel was prefixed to an original root.^(Barnhart 1988) Skeat rejects any connection with [[know]].^(Skeat 1911) The verb is from Old English [[m|ang|namian|t=to give a name to; to nominate]], [[m|ang|genamian]], from the noun;^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1995)^(SOED 2002) it replaced Middle English [[m|enm|nemne]], from Old English [[m|ang|nemnan]].^(Hoad 1986)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The word by which a person, animal, place or thing is known (Old English, before 725 in ''Genesis A'' and about 725 in ''Beowulf''; 862 in the OED).^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old English ''nama'' already meant both “name” and “reputation”, and in grammar it was the term for a [[noun]].^(Etymonline)^(HTOED) The sense “one's reputation, what is commonly said of a person” is recorded from about 1300 (13th century in Hoad),^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) and ''in the name of'' “on behalf of, by authority of”, used in invocations, by the late 14th century.^(Etymonline) A ''man of name'' was a man of distinction from about 1400, and ''a name'' “a famous person” dates from the 1610s.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED) The verb meant “to call by a title or epithet” in Old English, “to specify, fix (a price or time)” from 1597, and of the Speaker of the House of Commons “to name a member” in formal reprimand from 1792.^(HTOED)^(MWU 2024) ''Namely'' first meant “especially” (12th century), and later “that is to say”.^(Hoad 1986)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Weekley 1921) A ''namesake'' (1646) was originally one named “for the name's sake” of another.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Weekley 1921)^(Hoad 1986) The adjective “well-known” dates from about 1932 in the Historical Thesaurus (1938 in Etymonline),^(HTOED)^(Etymonline) ''name-dropper'' from 1947, and ''the name of the game'' from 1966.^(Etymonline) Shakespeare's “What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet” is from ''Romeo and Juliet''.^(Cresswell 2021)^(Brewer 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 725 – Old English ''nama'', in ''Beowulf''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * c. 1000 – verb ''namian'', to give a name to.^(Barnhart 1995)^(OED 1989)

+ * c. 1125 – ''name''.^(Barnhart 1995)

+ * c. 1300 – reputation.^(Etymonline)

+ * late 14th century – ''in the name of''.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1597 – to specify, fix (a price or time); ''names'', abusive epithets.^(HTOED)

+ * 1598 – as an adjective, bearing a name.^(MW Collegiate)^(MWU 2024)

+ * 1610s – a famous person.^(Etymonline)^(HTOED)

+ * 1646 – ''namesake''.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1792 – the Speaker ''names'' a member.^(HTOED)

+ * 1885 – a Lloyd's underwriter.^(HTOED)

+ * 1938 – adjective, well-known.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1947 – ''name-dropper''.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A word or words by which a person, place or thing is known and distinguished from others.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Black's Law 2004)

+ # A descriptive word, often abusive: ''called him names''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Collins 2023)

+ # [[reputation|alt=Reputation]], especially a good one: ''made a name for herself''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(COED 2004)

+ # A famous person: ''a big name''.^(AHD)^(COED 2004)^(Dalzell 2013)

+ # Appearance as opposed to reality: ''a ruler in name only''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A family or [[clan]].^(MW Collegiate)^(Chambers 2008)

+ # Authority; behalf: ''in the name of the law''.^(MW Collegiate)^(Chambers 2008)

+ # ''(Britain)'' An underwriting member of Lloyd's of London.^(COED 2004)^(HTOED)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To give a name to: ''named the child after her grandmother''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(COED 2004)

+ # To mention or identify by name; to accuse by name.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To [[nominate]] or [[appoint]] to an office.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # To specify or fix: ''name the day''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # ''(Britain)'' Of the Speaker of the House of Commons, to reprimand (a member) by name.^(COED 2004)^(MWU 2024)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Well-known by name; famous: ''a name brand''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)^(Chambers 2008)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[namable]]

+ * [[namer]]

+ * [[bename]]

+ * [[misname]]

+ * [[rename]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[noun]]

+ * [[nominal]]

+ * [[nominate]]

+ * [[denominate]]

+ * [[misnomer]]

+ * [[renown]]

+ * [[onomastic]]

+ * [[anonymous]]

+ * [[synonym]]

+ * [[namesake]]

+ * [[namely]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage Dictionary calls ''name'' the general term for the word by which someone or something is called, as against ''designation'' and ''denomination'', which classify, and ''title'', ''appellation'' and ''cognomen''.^(AHD) Random House distinguishes ''name'', the simpler word, from ''title'', an official or honorary term or the designation of a book.^(RHWU)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}