énom

ànom is a fictional linguistic term used in theoretical discussions of onomastics and syntax. It denotes a proposed class of tokens that combine properties of proper names with determiner-like functions in a hypothetical language. The term does not represent an established category in real-world linguistics.

Etymology and concept: The form ànom blends the French preposition à with nom, meaning name, chosen for its evocative cue of named reference. In the conceptual framework, an ànom accompanies a proper name to signal referential status such as familiarity, salience, or discourse focus. Syntactically, an ànom may behave as a name-bearing element with additional functional weight, interacting with definiteness and anaphora in ways that standard naming does not.

Usage and interpretation: Because ànom is hypothetical, its usage is defined for teaching, thought experiments, and worldbuilding exercises rather than empirical data. It serves to illustrate how a language might encode stance toward named entities—whether a referent is known to both speakers, recently introduced, or socially marked—beyond the ordinary proper-name system. The marker is typically short and placed before or adjacent to the name within a noun phrase.

Examples: In a fictional example, a sentence such as ànom Maya est arrivée presents the name Maya with an explicit discourse-marking element, signaling focus or prominence. In another scenario, ànom Paris could be used to foreground a toponym in a way that differs from a plain mention. These examples are illustrative and not attested in real languages.

See also: onomastics, proper name, determiner, stance marking.