praenominal

— perplexum usum praenominum et cognominum. ‘In origin and conception’ (says Mommsen) ‘the cognomen is very nearly akin to the praenomen, nay, in a certain degree, identical with it. For just as in the case of women the praenomen, without material alteration, and only through the absence of official recognition,has fallen into the position of a cognomen, as has been the case with a number of old ( male ) praenomina, e. g. Agrippa, Numa, Postumus, Proculus, so Volusus and Fusus, after dropping their praenominal quality, have continued in use as cognomina’ (l.c. p. 42).