Name
In recognition of 1 March: “Fun Facts About Names Day”!
“What is your name?” “My name is…”
“Tuhada nama ki hai?” “Mera nama … hai.”
“Comment vous appellez vous?” “Je m’appelle…”
How often have we used such words and phrases? Often these are the first words learned in a conversational language course. Or when we meet a child.
Or, “What’s the name of the street where you live?” or “What’s the name of that ingredient that has the sweet taste?” or “What’s the name of that thingamajig?” or “What’s her name again?” Have you ever been called on the carpet for calling someone names on the playground (or in the office or classroom, for that matter)? Names can contain emotion and power. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me” – Really?!
Names are everywhere.
The word name in the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) language family has just about always been the word name. The word name comes from Old English nama and is related to Gothic namo, Old Norse nafn, Dutch naam, German Name, Old High German namo, Frisian nama, Old Saxon namo—all from Proto-Germanic naman and, before that, from PIE no-men (name); also the source of the Sanskrit word naama (name).
In the PIE language family, and presumably also in other language families, when we meet another person or discover some new food or object or animal or plant or whatever, we want to know the name by which it is called: “What do you call that?” Whether we have ordinary or profound experiences; we look for ways to name such experiences and ways to describe them.
PIE no-men came to Latin as nomen (name) from which is created the Latin and English word nomenclature: nomen = name + clatura (to call out); nomenclature = the naming of something or ‘calling something by name’.
And, of course, every personal name and family name comes from somewhere or something. My own name, as translated from its origins would be ‘Beloved banks of the twisting Itchen River’, but you can call me ‘David’ for short.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
“What is your name?” “My name is…”
“Tuhada nama ki hai?” “Mera nama … hai.”
“Comment vous appellez vous?” “Je m’appelle…”
How often have we used such words and phrases? Often these are the first words learned in a conversational language course. Or when we meet a child.
Or, “What’s the name of the street where you live?” or “What’s the name of that ingredient that has the sweet taste?” or “What’s the name of that thingamajig?” or “What’s her name again?” Have you ever been called on the carpet for calling someone names on the playground (or in the office or classroom, for that matter)? Names can contain emotion and power. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me” – Really?!
Names are everywhere.
The word name in the Proto-Indo-European (PIE) language family has just about always been the word name. The word name comes from Old English nama and is related to Gothic namo, Old Norse nafn, Dutch naam, German Name, Old High German namo, Frisian nama, Old Saxon namo—all from Proto-Germanic naman and, before that, from PIE no-men (name); also the source of the Sanskrit word naama (name).
In the PIE language family, and presumably also in other language families, when we meet another person or discover some new food or object or animal or plant or whatever, we want to know the name by which it is called: “What do you call that?” Whether we have ordinary or profound experiences; we look for ways to name such experiences and ways to describe them.
PIE no-men came to Latin as nomen (name) from which is created the Latin and English word nomenclature: nomen = name + clatura (to call out); nomenclature = the naming of something or ‘calling something by name’.
And, of course, every personal name and family name comes from somewhere or something. My own name, as translated from its origins would be ‘Beloved banks of the twisting Itchen River’, but you can call me ‘David’ for short.
Reference: Online Etymological Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/
No comments have been added yet.
