Cognomen

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒɡnəmən/

Definitions of cognomen

noun an additional name given to a person, especially in ancient Rome, as a nickname or an epithet

Example Sentences

A1 My friend's cognomen is Smith.

A2 In ancient Rome, a cognomen was a third name that identified a person's family.

B1 The cognomen 'the Great' was added to Alexander's name due to his military achievements.

B2 Julius Caesar's cognomen 'Caesar' became synonymous with emperor in later Roman history.

C1 Historians study the use of cognomens in Roman naming conventions to understand social structures.

C2 The cognomen 'Africanus' was given to Scipio for his victories in Africa during the Punic Wars.

Examples of cognomen in a Sentence

formal The cognomen is an additional name given to a person, often to distinguish them from others with the same name.

informal My cognomen is 'Junior' because I have the same name as my father.

slang I don't really like my cognomen, but it stuck with me since high school.

figurative In the world of superheroes, a cognomen can be a powerful alias that represents their true identity.

Grammatical Forms of cognomen

• past tense: cognomened
• plural: cognomens
• comparative: more cognomen
• superlative: most cognomen
• present tense: cognomens
• future tense: will cognomen
• perfect tense: have cognomened
• continuous tense: is cognomening
• singular: cognomen
• positive degree: cognomen
• infinitive: to cognomen
• gerund: cognomening
• participle: cognomened

Origin and Evolution of cognomen

First Known Use: 1601 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The word 'cognomen' originated from Latin, where it was used to refer to the third name given to individuals in ancient Rome, often indicating their family or clan name.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the term 'cognomen' has evolved to refer more generally to any additional name or nickname used to distinguish or identify a person, regardless of its origin or significance.