nomen est omen

Latin

Etymology

The origin of this saying is attributed to the Roman playwright Plautus. In his play “Persa” the slave Toxilus lures his owner, Dordalus, to buy an expensive slave-girl named Lucris (“profits”), saying, “Nōmen atque ōmen quantīvīs iam est pretī” (“The name and the omen are worth any price”).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈnoː.men est ˈoː.men/, [ˈnoːmɛn ɛs̠t̪ ˈoːmɛn]

(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈno.men est ˈo.men/, [ˈnɔːmen ɛst̪ ˈɔːmen]

Proverb

nōmen est ōmen

The name is a sign, the name speaks for itself.

Descendants

→ Finnish: nimi on enne (calque) (name is a sign)
→ Polish: nomen omen

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