quid nomen tibi est

Latin edit

Alternative forms edit

quid nōmen tibī̆st? (phonetic spelling indicating clitisation, also called prodelision or aphaeresis)
quod nōmen tibī̆ est? (Late Latin, Medieval Latin)

Etymology edit

From quid n (“what”, nominative) + nōmen n (“name”, nominative) + tibī̆ (“to you”, dative) + est (“is”). Literally meaning “what is the name to you” or “what do you have for a name?”.

Pronunciation edit

(Classical) IPA^(key): /kʷidˈnoː.men ˈti.biːst/, [kʷɪnˈnoːmɛn ˈt̪ɪbiːs̠t̪] or IPA^(key): /kʷidˈnoː.men ˈti.bist/, [kʷɪnˈnoːmɛn ˈt̪ɪbɪs̠t̪]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /kwid ˈno.men ˈti.bi est/, [kwid̪ ˈnɔːmen ˈt̪iːbi ɛst̪]

Phrase edit

quid nōmen tibī̆ est?

what is your name?
- c. 190 BCE – 185 BCE, Plautus, Amphitryon 1.1.363–4:hypotactic.com
  MERCVRIVS: Quis erus est igitur tibī?
  SOSIA: Amphitruō, quī nunc praefectust Thēbānīs legiōnibus,
  quīcum nūpta est Alcumēna... MERCVRIVS: Quid aīs?! Quid nōmen tibī est?
  MERCURY: Who's your master then?
  SOSIA: Amphitryon, who's now in command of the Theban forces,
  to whom Alcmena is married... M: You what?! What is your name?