nominative (adj.)

late 14c., nominatif, "pertaining to the grammatical case dealing with the subject of a verb," from Old French nominatif, from Latin nominativus "pertaining to naming, serving to name" (in casus nominativus), from nominat-, past-participle stem of nominare "to name, call by name, give a name to," from nomen "name" (see name (n.)). As a noun, "the nominative case" (1610s); "a nominative word" (1660s).