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Glite Dictionary
praenomen

praenomen

1 9.9
The first name a Roman citizen used before the family name
  • noun
  • /ˈpriːnəˌmɛn/
  • Specialized
: praenomen
  • The historian explained the significance of each part of a Roman's praenomen, nomen, and cognomen.

Examples

  • In ancient Rome, the praenomen was usually chosen from a small group of traditional names.

  • Marcus was a common praenomen among Roman citizens.

  • The praenomen is essential.

  • What is a praenomen?

  • In ancient Rome, a man's praenomen was typically chosen from a limited set of traditional names.

  • Every Roman citizen had a praenomen, which indicated their personal identity before their family names.

  • The praenomen was an essential part of Roman naming conventions, as it distinguished individuals within families.

Surface Forms

praenomen singular
praenomina plural

Etymology

Praenomen comes from the Latin parts prae- ('before') and nomen ('name'). It was the name placed before the family name, so a praenomen is like a Roman personal 'first name'.