Publius Ovidius Naso

9.9

A Roman poet who wrote poems about love and myths

proper noun

: Publio Ovidio Nasón

Students in the Latin class translated passages from Publius Ovidius Naso's Metamorphoses.

Examples

The works of Publius Ovidius Naso have influenced Western literature for centuries.
Many scholars regard Publius Ovidius Naso as one of the greatest poets of classical antiquity.
Publius Ovidius Naso was a great poet.
Did you read anything by Publius Ovidius Naso in school?
Many scholars regard Publius Ovidius Naso as one of the greatest poets of classical antiquity.
Students in the Latin class translated passages from Publius Ovidius Naso's Metamorphoses.
The works of Publius Ovidius Naso have influenced Western literature for centuries.

Synonyms

Ovid

vsPublius Ovidius Naso

Literature

4 8.8

A Roman poet famous for love poems and the book Metamorphoses

is the full formal Latin name favoured in scholarly or historical contexts

Surface Forms

Publius Ovidius Naso main

Morphology

Publius + Ovidius + Naso

This is a full proper name (a Latin personal name) rather than a compositional phrase; knowing the individual name components does not allow a learner to infer the referent or the biographical meaning (‘the Roman poet Ovid’). Personal names are arbitrary and culture-specific, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent forms would not derive the MWE’s meaning.

Etymology

Publius Ovidius Naso is the full name of the Roman poet we now call Ovid. The surname Naso literally means 'nose' in Latin and was likely a family nickname for someone with a noticeable nose, so that simple image helps you remember this is the famous poet of love poems and the 'Metamorphoses'.