Nona

/ˈnoʊnə/ noun

Definition

In Roman mythology, one of the three Fates (goddesses who control human destiny); also an Italian female given name.

Etymology

From Latin 'nona' meaning ninth, one of the three Fates who spun out the thread of life. The name originally referred to the ninth hour of the day in Roman timekeeping.

Kelly Says

The three Fates had specific jobs—Nona spun the thread of life, Decima measured it, and Morta cut it, and this imagery was so powerful that Shakespeare, Dante, and Tolkien all riffed on it centuries later.

Ethical Language Guidance

Gender History

Italian/Spanish feminine form of 'nono' (ninth). Gendered linguistic convention assigns grammatical gender to ordinals and names.

Inclusive Usage

Use regardless of gender when naming; note the word itself carries no discriminatory baggage, only grammatical gender convention.

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