Etymology, English, Name

Etymology

Noun. From Middle English name, nome, from Old English nama, noma, from Proto-West Germanic *namō, from Proto-Germanic *namô, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥. Cognates include Saterland Frisian Noome, West Frisian namme, Dutch naam, German Name, Danish navn, Swedish namn, Latin nōmen (Spanish nombre). Possible cognates outside of Indo-European include Finnish nimi.

Verb. From Middle English namen, from Old English namian (“to name, mention”) and ġenamian (“to name, call, appoint”), from Proto-West Germanic *namōn (“to name”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: nām, IPA^(key): /neɪm/

Noun

name (plural names)

1. Any nounal word or phrase which indicates a particular person, place, class, or thing.

   Synonyms: proper name; 

   I’ve never liked the name my parents gave me so I changed it at the age of twenty.

   What’s your name?
   Puddintane. Ask me again and I’ll tell you the same.

2. Reputation.
3. An abusive or insulting epithet.

   Stop calling me names!

4. A person (or legal person).
5. Those of a certain name; a race; a family.
6. (computing) A unique identifier, generally a string of characters.
7. (Britain, finance) An investor in Lloyds of London bearing unlimited liability.
8. Authority.

   Halt in the name of the law!

Verb

name (third-person singular simple present names, present participle naming, simple past and past participle named)

1. (ditransitive) To give a name to.

   One visitor named Hou Yugang said he was not too concerned about climate change and Baishui’s melting.

2. (transitive) To mention, specify.

   He named his demands.

   You name it!

3. (transitive) To identify as relevant or important

   naming the problem

4. (transitive) To publicly implicate by name.

   The painter was named as an accomplice.

5. (transitive) To designate for a role.

   My neighbor was named to the steering committee.

6. (transitive, Westminster system politics) To initiate a process to temporarily remove a member of parliament who is breaking the rules of conduct.