Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Nomenclator

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

NOMENCLA'TOR. A sort of usher; a slave kept by great personages amongst the Romans, whose business it was to make himself acquainted with the names and persons of every one who was in the habit of attending his master's levees, so that when the great man met any of them out of doors, the nomenclator, who accompanied him, announced their names, and enabled him to address them personally, or pay them some little appropriate compliment; for to pass a client without notice, even inadvertently, might be regarded as an affront, and possibly be resented at the next elections. (Cic. Att. iv. i. Senec. Ep. 27.) In great houses, where the acquaintances and hangers on were very numerous, the nomenclator arranged the order of precedence amongst the guests, announced the name of each dish as it was served up, and enumerated its peculiar excellencies. Pet. Sat. 47. 8. Senec. Ep. 19. Plin. H. N. xxxii. 21.