Nomos
/ˈnoʊ.mɒs/noun
A Greek word meaning law, custom, or established order.
Did you know?Nomos comes from a Greek verb meaning “to distribute” or “to pasture,” so one of the roots behind “law” is literally about assigning land and keeping order.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*nem-
“to assign, allot, distribute”
Ancient Greek
Greek
νέμω (némō)
“I distribute, pasture, graze, manage”
Ancient Greek
Greek
νόμος (nómos)
“custom, usage, law, ordinance; later a district or pasture-land allotment”
Classical Greek
Greek
νομοθέτης (nomothetēs)
“lawgiver”
Modern English
English
nomos
“a Greek term for law, custom, or social order, often used in philosophy and social theory”