Etymograph

English

nominate

Nominate comes from Middle English nominat(e) ‘named, designated’, from Latin nōminō ‘to name’, and ultimately from Hittite ḫannaⁱ- ‘to sue, judge’.

  1. Hittitemodernḫannaⁱ-1transliteratedcuneiform ḫannaⁱ-, a transliteration; the original signs are in Wiktionary‘to sue, judge’
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁nómn̥2‘name’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nōmn̥2‘name’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōmen3‘name’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōminō4‘to name’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōminātus4‘named, having been named’perfect passive participle of nōminō
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500nominat(e)4‘named, designated’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2014-09nominate4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin nomen
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Latin nomino
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English nominate
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2014-09, -24, Rob Gommans and Antonius H. N. Cillessen: “In the unlimited method, they are allowed to nominate…”.

Lineage

  1. Hittitemodernḫannaⁱ-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥transliteratedcuneiform ḫannaⁱ-, a transliteration; the original signs are in Wiktionary‘to sue, judge’
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₁nómn̥Wiktionary, Latin nomen‘name’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*nōmn̥Wiktionary, Latin nomen‘name’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōmenWiktionary, Latin nomino‘name’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōminōWiktionary, English nominate‘to name’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEnōminātusWiktionary, English nominate‘named, having been named’perfect passive participle of nōminō
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500nominat(e)Wiktionary, English nominate‘named, designated’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 2014-09nominateWiktionary, English nominate. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 2014-09, -24, Rob Gommans and Antonius H. N. Cillessen: “In the unlimited method, they are allowed to nominate…”

first attested first attested in 1450 (as stated in Wiktionary’s etymology)

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ ‘name’

name, pseudonym, anonymity, 34 more

through Latin nōmen ‘name’

noun, renown, ignominious, nomen, ignominy, 22 more

through Latin nōminō ‘to name’

allocate, misnomer, 11 more

Today it means

verb To name someone as a candidate for a particular role or position, including that of an office.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “nominate”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥, Latin nomen, Latin nomino. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Hittite ḫannaⁱ- / nominate

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