 Throughout much of the twelfth century, ‘supposition’ retained the linguistic sense it had had since at least the time of Priscian (early 6th century CE), namely, the placing of a name as  subject.[5]  The relation of that name as subject to the thing named was called its appellation. This was the ability of a univocal appellative noun to name different things. The appellation of a name was not fixed, however. It could be ampliated or restricted by the predicate. So, for example, the predicate ‘opinabilis’ (credible) ampliates or extends the appellation of a name such as ‘man’ to cover a wider range, perhaps of no longer existing men, or of men who might have existed, or who might exist in the future. Thus, appellation came to mean the present correct application of a term (William of Sherwood, ed. Lohr et al., p. 265; tr. Kretzmann, p. 106), which could be ampliated, or even restricted by, say, the apposition of an adjective: ‘white man’ appellates only white men, not all even presently existing men.