Cognomens

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kɒɡˈnoʊ.mənz/

Definitions

1. A name, especially a family or clan name, often indicating heritage or origin
2. a term bestowed to distinguish one individual from another
3. an additional name or title that signifies a particular characteristic or quality

Etymology: Roman men carried several names, and the cognomen was the one that marked a family branch. Marcus Tullius Cicero took his from "cicer," the Latin for chickpea. Tradition says an early ancestor earned it from a chickpea-shaped mark on his nose, and the nickname outlasted its origin to become a permanent family name. The Latin is built from "co-," meaning "together" or "with," and "nomen," meaning "name," which is related to the English "name." Its literal sense is a name joined to the main one. English took the word from Latin, and "cognomens" is simply the plural, with the English -s added to the Latin form.