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I hope this is the right board. I wondered if anyone knew how certain nicknames came about? Like, how did Jack become a nn for John, and how did Chuck come about for Charles?
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Here's a good explanation layed out clearly:
http://www.geocities.com/edgarbook/names/other/nicknames.html
I just wish names like Dob, Hob, and Hick would make a return.
http://www.geocities.com/edgarbook/names/other/nicknames.html
I just wish names like Dob, Hob, and Hick would make a return.
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Hi!
JACK is quite easy to explain: It is derived from Jan-kin, a pet form of Jan (a common form of John used in many countries), Jankin became Jackin, later the -in was dropped.
Now CHUCK, according to Hanks & Hodges '92, is not originally a pet form of Charles: "It derives from the English term of endearment, itself probably from Middle English chukken = to cluck (of imitativ e origin)."
A lot of nicknames were created by children, some by reduplication (such as Mimi for Miriam or Maria), others just in some fancyful way beyond explanation (Polly for Mary). I guess misunderstanding is also a very common source of new creations.
Andy
JACK is quite easy to explain: It is derived from Jan-kin, a pet form of Jan (a common form of John used in many countries), Jankin became Jackin, later the -in was dropped.
Now CHUCK, according to Hanks & Hodges '92, is not originally a pet form of Charles: "It derives from the English term of endearment, itself probably from Middle English chukken = to cluck (of imitativ e origin)."
A lot of nicknames were created by children, some by reduplication (such as Mimi for Miriam or Maria), others just in some fancyful way beyond explanation (Polly for Mary). I guess misunderstanding is also a very common source of new creations.
Andy
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Thanks! I've always wondered about those! Now I know! :)
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LOL that gave me a shock to see that I haven't been online for a few days, but I'd made a post!
I can't tell you anything about the two specific names you mentioned, but I can tell you why some odd sounding nicknames came into being, like Bob for Robert and Bill for William.
The most common names in the past used to be used by far more people than the most common names today are. So instead of being Margaret B, Margaret J, and so on, new nicknames were invented. So you had Maggie, Mag, Meg, Peg, and so on.
|Hope that helped!
I can't tell you anything about the two specific names you mentioned, but I can tell you why some odd sounding nicknames came into being, like Bob for Robert and Bill for William.
The most common names in the past used to be used by far more people than the most common names today are. So instead of being Margaret B, Margaret J, and so on, new nicknames were invented. So you had Maggie, Mag, Meg, Peg, and so on.
|Hope that helped!
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