Noun

/naʊn/ noun

Definition

A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea in grammar.

Etymology

From Old French 'nom' and Latin 'nomen' meaning 'name.' The grammatical sense developed in medieval Latin as 'nomen substantivum' (substantial name), distinguishing words that name things from those that describe or modify.

Kelly Says

The word 'noun' shares its root with 'name,' 'nomenclature,' and even 'anonymous' (without a name). Ancient grammarians recognized nouns as the foundation of language because they represent the concrete and abstract entities we think about.

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