Definition of the word common noun

The origins of the term "common noun" can be traced back to the medieval Latin grammar tradition. In this system, which had a significant impact on Western linguistics, nouns were categorized based on whether they referred to individual things (proper nouns) or general concepts (common nouns). In Latin, the term for a common noun was "nomen commune" (nōmen cómmūne), which translates literally to "common name." This name was chosen because such nouns were considered communal or shared by many people, in contrast to proper nouns, which referred to specific and unique entities. The term "common noun" first appeared in English in the 16th century, borrowed from the Latin via the French "noun commun" (nome commun in Old French). The term has stayed largely unchanged in English since then, and is now part of the standard vocabulary of linguistics, grammar, and related fields. In summary, the word "common noun" originated in medieval Latin grammar as a way to differentiate nouns that referred to general concepts from those that referred to specific entities, and has been in use in English after it was borrowed from the French in the 16th century.