Nomen nescio
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Nomen nescio(pronounced[ˈnoːmɛnˈnɛskɪ.oː]), abbreviated toN.N.,is used to signify ananonymousor unnamed person. FromLatinnomen– "name", andnescio– "I do not know", it literally means "I do not know the name".[1]The generic nameNumerius Negidiusused inRomantimes was chosen partly because it shared initials with this phrase.
Usage[edit]
One use for this name is to protect against retaliation when reporting acrimeor companyfraud.In theNetherlands,a police suspect who refuses to give his name is given an "N.N. number." InGermanyandBelgium,N.N.is also frequently seen inuniversitycourse lists, indicating that a course will take place but that the lecturer is not yet known; the abbreviation in this case meansnomen nominandum– "the name is to be announced". Thus, the meaning is different from the above definition and is the same asTBD(to be decided).
N. N.is commonly used in the scoring ofchessgames,[2]not only when one participant's name is genuinely unknown but when an untitled player faces a master, as in asimultaneous exhibition.Another reason is to protect a known player from the insult of a painful defeat.[citation needed]
Genealogistsoften use the abbreviation to signify an unknown or partially unknown name (such asN.N.Jones).
It has increased in usage in online gaming as an insult to mean that someone is unknown within the community.[citation needed]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^Thode, Ernest (1992),German-English Genealogical Dictionary,Genealogical Publishing Com, p.179,ISBN978-0-8063-1342-9
- ^Hooper, David;Whyld, Kenneth(1992),The Oxford Companion to Chess(2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, p. 274,ISBN0-19-280049-3
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