N or M
Preserved but no longer current.
The answer given to the first question in the Church of England Catechism; and it means that here the person being catechized gives his or her name or names. Lat. nomen vel nomina. The abbreviation for the plural nomina was — as usual — the doubled initial (cp. "LL.D." for Doctor of Laws); and this, when printed (as it was in old Prayer Books) m black-letter and close together, $$. came to be taken for fK.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “N or M” mean?
The answer given to the first question in the Church of England Catechism; and it means that here the person being catechized gives his or her name or names. Lat. nomen vel nomina. The abbreviation for the plural nomina was — as usual — the doubled initial (cp. "LL.D." for Doctor of Laws); and this, when printed (as it was in old Prayer Books) m black-letter and close together, $$. came to be taken for fK.
Is “N or M” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.