Nimetüki

Nimetüki is a term used in some niche linguistic and literary contexts to describe a brief text that presents or analyzes a name assigned to a subject. The term is not widely standardized and its meaning can vary between authors; it is sometimes treated as a micro-entry that foregrounds naming as a semantic act.

A nimetüki typically resembles a short caption or gloss. It designates a person, place, object, or concept and may include information about the name’s origin, form, pronunciation, or cultural significance. It may appear within glossaries, field notes, or constructed-world encyclopedias, serving to explain why a name was chosen and how it functions in context.

In practice, nimetüki is most often found in fiction writing, world-building notes, or experimental linguistic works rather than established scholarship. An example nimetüki for a star-name might read: “Starfall — a name coined by explorers to evoke glowing debris and safe passage through night.” Such entries treat naming as a unit of meaning and may link the name to thematic or narrative motifs.

The word appears to be coined from Estonian nimi “name” and tükk “piece,” literally “a piece of naming.” Its usage is occasional and is not part of standard linguistic terminology.

See also: onomastics, epithet, gloss, caption, and world-building lexicon.