Word of the Day

: September 3, 2008

appellation

noun ap-uh-LAY-shun

What It Means

1 : an identifying name or title : designation

2 : the act of calling by a name

3 : a geographical name used to identify wine

appellation in Context

We used to call him "Danny," but he recently let us know that he prefers the appellation "Daniel."

Did You Know?

Ask a Frenchman named "Jacques" his name, and you may very well get the reply, "Je m'appelle Jacques." The French verb "appeller" means "to call (by a name)," so Jacques' answer literally translates to "I call myself Jacques." Knowing the function of "appeller" makes it easy to remember that "appellation" refers to the name or title by which something is called or known. "Appeller" and "appellation" also share a common ancestor -- the Latin "appellare," meaning "to call or summon," formed by combining the prefix "ad-" ("to") with another verb, "pellere" ("to drive"). "Appellare" is also the root of our word "appeal" (by way of Anglo-French and Middle English), as well as "appellate," referring to a kind of court where appeals are heard.