Name German · revision 34858

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=c. 765, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *h₁nómn̥}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈnaːmə/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''Name''' ''m'' (genitive Namens, plural Namen)^(Wiktionary)

+ Like ''Funke'' it was a weak noun; the strong genitive ''des Namens'' has replaced ''des Namen'' since the 16th century.^(Paul 2002) A nominative ''der Namen'' (genitive ''des Namens'') is now dated.^(Duden GWDS 1999) Older spellings include ''Nahme'' and ''Nahmen'', used by Stieler and Adelung.^(DWB|13, 322)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|name]], [[inh|goh|namo]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*namō]], [[inh|gem-pro|*namô|t=name]].^(Kluge 2011|647)^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The same word is [[got|𐌽𐌰𐌼𐍉|tr=namo]] (a neuter, as the original gender was), [[non|nafn]], [[ang|nama]], [[ofs|noma]] and [[osx|namo]], and today [[nl|naam]], [[en|name]] and [[sv|namn]].^(Kluge 2011|647)^(Kroonen 2013)^(DWB|13, 322)

+

+ It continues the Indo-European word for “name”, also found in [[sa|नामन्|tr=nā́man]], [[grc|ὄνομα|tr=ónoma]], [[la|nōmen]], [[cu|имѧ|tr=imę]], [[sga|ainm]], [[txb|ñem]] and, with an irregular initial, [[hit|lāman]].^(Kluge 2011|647)^(Orel 2003)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kluge notes that the forms agree only in their consonants and that the vowel alternation cannot be explained; similar words in Finno-Ugric suggest a very old word.^(Kluge 2011|647) Wiktionary calls the exact form of the Indo-European word highly uncertain and gives [[ine-pro|*h₁nómn̥]];^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) Kroonen reconstructs a paradigm [[ine-pro|*h₃néh₃-mn̥]] with the zero grade generalised in Germanic.^(Wiktionary)^(Kroonen 2013) The verb [[nennen]] is an old derivative of the noun.^(Kroonen 2013)^(Duden 7 2014|584)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''namo'' is first recorded in glosses of about 765 and in the Abrogans, and then very often (498 times, says Köbler) in Isidor, the Tatian, Otfrid and Notker, meaning “name”, also “word, noun”, “meaning” and “renown, rank”.^(Köbler AHD)^(EWA|6, 803)^(Schützeichel 2012|233)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Already in Old High German the word covered both the proper name and the general term: ''eiganēr namo'' “proper name” and ''gimeinēr namo'' “general term” rendered Latin ''nomen proprium'' and a general term.^(EWA|6, 803)^(Paul 2002) Paul notes that ''Name'' refers to any designation, including the names of classes, as when Adam gives each animal its name in Luther's Genesis, and also to the name of an individual.^(Paul 2002) From “name” came “reputation, renown”, as in ''sich einen Namen machen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(EWA|6, 803)

+

+ Among the derivatives, [[namhaft]] goes back to Old High German ''namahaft'' (8th century), and [[nämlich]] and [[namentlich]] continue Middle High German ''namelich'' “named”, the latter with an inserted ''t'' as in [[eigentlich]].^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2014|584) [[Namenstag]], a celebration on the day of one's patron saint, appears in the 17th century, and [[Namensvetter]] “namesake” in the 18th.^(Duden 7 2014|584)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''namo'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 8th century – ''namahaft'' “renowned” is recorded.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+ * 16th century – The genitive ''des Namens'' begins to replace ''des Namen''.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 17th century – ''Namenstag'' appears.^(Duden 7 2014|584)

+ * 18th century – ''Namensvetter'' appears.^(Duden 7 2014|584)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A word for a kind of thing, a [[m|en|designation]]: ''für diese Pflanze gibt es mehrere Namen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # A [[m|en|name]] that identifies a person, place or thing; a forename or surname: ''ihr Name ist Anna''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Reputation, renown: ''die Firma hat einen guten Namen''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''(grammar, in compounds)'' A noun, as in [[Eigenname]] “proper noun”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[nennen]]

+ * [[namens]]

+ * [[namentlich]]

+ * [[namhaft]]

+ * [[nämlich]]

+ * [[namenlos]]

+ * [[Namenstag]]

+ * [[Namensvetter]]

+ * [[Vorname]]

+ * [[Nachname]]

+ * [[Beiname]]

+ * [[Spitzname]]

+ * [[Eigenname]]

+ * [[Kosename]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Nomen]]

+ * [[anonym]]

+ * [[en|name]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ ''Im Namen'' means “on behalf of” (''im Namen des Volkes''), and ''etwas beim Namen nennen'' is to call a spade a spade.^(Duden GWDS 1999) ''Name ist Schall und Rauch'' “a name is mere sound and smoke” comes from Goethe's ''Faust''.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}