nomen est omen

== Latin == === Etymology === The origin of this saying is attributed to the Roman playwright Plautus. In his play “Persa” the slave Toxilus lures his owner, Dordalus, to buy an expensive slave-girl named Lucris (“profits”), saying, “Nōmen atque ōmen quantīvīs iam est pretī” (“The name and the omen are worth any price”). === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ˈnoː.mɛn ˈɛst ˈoː.mɛn] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ˈnɔː.men ˈɛst ˈɔː.men] === Proverb === nōmen est ōmen The name is a sign, the name speaks for itself. ==== Descendants ==== → Finnish: nimi on enne (calque) (name is a sign) → Polish: nomen omen