# Quid/Quod nomen tibi est?



## toscairn

(1) Quid nomen tibi est?
(2) Quod nomen tibi est?

What's the difference in meaning?


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## diegodbs

It should be "quod nomen tibi est".

Nomen = neuter, singular
quod = interrogative adjective, neuter, singular


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## toscairn

Thanks, diegodbs.

You say it should be "quod nomen". 
But why would I get about the same number of hits from the Google search for "quod nomen" and "quid nomen"?


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## diegodbs

The substantive interrogative pronoun *quis, (quae), quid* is used independently; the answer to it is always a noun. Usually the feminine forms are substituted by the masculine ones.
The adjective interrogative pronoun *qui, quae, quod* is used as a determinative; the answer to it is always an adjective. The declension of the adjective interrogative pronoun is like that of the relative one.


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## Whodunit

May I translate them literally?

Quid nomen tibi est?
_What is the name of you?_
Quod nomen tibi est?
_Which is the name of you?_

To me, they are both interchangeable. Technically, "quod" would be more logical, however "quid" is the way we say in English. There are a lot of possibilities to ask for someone's name in Latin, the most common seems to be "Quod nomen tibi est", although Wikipedia disagrees.

Interesting question, indeed!


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## Bienvenidos

My Latin instructor always says: *Quid nomen tibi est*

*Bien*


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## Brazilian dude

The way I've learned it, Diegodbs' explanation is the only correct one.

Brazilian dude


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## J.F. de TROYES

I quite agree with Diegodb's and Brazilian dude's opinion; amongst the interrogative words we have to tell the pronoun _,"_quis, quae, quid " from the adjective "qui, quae, quod "followed by a noun. This adjective declines exactly the same way as the relative pronoun (= who, whom, whose, which); it's the same for the pronoun, *except for the nom.masc.sing. QUIS and the the nom./acc. neuter sing. QUID.*

*Quis *venit?                                 but:* Qui* medicus venit ?
*Quid *de re publica opinaris?           but:* Quod *est *judicium tuuum *de re
                                                         adj.          noun          publica ?
*Quod nomen tibi est ?*


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## toscairn

It may not be a responsible opinion, but my understanding is this:

(1) Quid nomen tibi est?
(2) Quod nomen tibi est?

(1) Of what name is it to you? 
     Quid nomen *est* (*φ*) tibi?
(2) What is the name to you? (The name is what to you?)
     Quod *est* nomen tibi?


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## J.F. de TROYES

Thank you, TOSCAIRN, for your latest mail.
 I think i understand what you distinguish between (1) and (2):

 1-*what name*: in Latin "what" is an adjective which agrees with the name "name"= "nomen" Nom.Neuter Sing. The form is "*quod"*(Interrogative adj.)
 2*-what  is the name...:* in Latin "what" is a neutral pronoun. The form is"*quid*". But i think  this sentence has got another meaning: "What does the name mean to me ?"
 I am sorry to keep on considering that "quod" is only possible for our question. It's also possible to say "Quid nominis tibi est ?, but it means :"What kind of name is yours?"


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## toscairn

Thanks, Troyes, for correcting me.

It was the other way round. My bad!

I got your point. Thank you very much.


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