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HelpRe: What?
in reply to a message by Calla
Actually, it IS confusing. It's not straightforward at all. Nicknames make sense when they relate phonetically to their full names: Sam for Samuel, Greg for Gregory, Mel for Melanie, etc.
If we changed them to Same for Samuel, Greyg for Gregory, and Mail for Melanie, they don't make sense one bit.
I would immediately think that I were pronouncing the person's name incorrectly
If we changed them to Same for Samuel, Greyg for Gregory, and Mail for Melanie, they don't make sense one bit.
I would immediately think that I were pronouncing the person's name incorrectly
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Peggy for Margaret?
Not all nns have to be phoenetic. And I think Lainie is for Helena. I still think it makes sense. Changing the spellings of already establish nns doesn't make sense and doesn't really fit. I could see how phoenetically Lainie isn't for Helena if it's prn hel-uh-nuh but I still think it works because of how it looks.
Not all nns have to be phoenetic. And I think Lainie is for Helena. I still think it makes sense. Changing the spellings of already establish nns doesn't make sense and doesn't really fit. I could see how phoenetically Lainie isn't for Helena if it's prn hel-uh-nuh but I still think it works because of how it looks.
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But that has an etymological explanation and history of use.
This message was edited 3/19/2012, 1:04 PM
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Peggy nn Margaret, Elizabeth nn Lily etc were thought of at a time when there were usually several girls with the same name in a family. There wasn't such a huge variety in names and it was normal to have 5 Marys in the family. As they had to differentiate them somehow nicknames such as Molly and Mamie were thought of. At least that's what I read. To each their own it's just not for me.
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