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ArchivesRe: Names in their diminutive form (Bo)
in reply to a message by Sabertooth
That justification sounds extremely far fetched (pseudolingustic, even) and inconsistent with the patterns of English nickname formation.
It's simply more likely that Bo/Beau ("handsome") simply evolved as a oet name for children that's independent from their actual given name (see also: Ace, Buster, Skipper, Happy, Buddy). Just browsing the Wikipedia list of people named Bo, you find full names as varied as Harold, Vincent, Mary, Beauregard, Ellas, Mark, and, yes, William. Your perceived predominance of William "Bo" is probably explained by a) the high frequency of the name William and b) the fact that Bo and Bill/Billy have the same initial.
In short: Bo does not derive from William, though many Williams may be called Bo.
It's simply more likely that Bo/Beau ("handsome") simply evolved as a oet name for children that's independent from their actual given name (see also: Ace, Buster, Skipper, Happy, Buddy). Just browsing the Wikipedia list of people named Bo, you find full names as varied as Harold, Vincent, Mary, Beauregard, Ellas, Mark, and, yes, William. Your perceived predominance of William "Bo" is probably explained by a) the high frequency of the name William and b) the fact that Bo and Bill/Billy have the same initial.
In short: Bo does not derive from William, though many Williams may be called Bo.
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Replies
I'm sorry, but that logic is very flawed. There is absolutely no evidence that the obsolete verb form "woll" was ever confused with the name "Will". The forms Woll and Boll (as given names) were simply not registered, let alone shortened to Bo (was Noll shortened to No or Moll to Mo?). And following that logic, wouldn't Wo be a name as well?
Can you find any examples of the nickname Bo being used before modern times (including the time when the word woll was used), or it being used in Britain at all? Keep in mind that multiple nicknames were indeed used for William - Wilk, Wilkin, Wilkie, Wilmot - that now survive as surnames.
In short, your theory makes no sense whatsoever. This is the name facts board, and we should focus on facts rather than folk etymology or wishful thinking.
Can you find any examples of the nickname Bo being used before modern times (including the time when the word woll was used), or it being used in Britain at all? Keep in mind that multiple nicknames were indeed used for William - Wilk, Wilkin, Wilkie, Wilmot - that now survive as surnames.
In short, your theory makes no sense whatsoever. This is the name facts board, and we should focus on facts rather than folk etymology or wishful thinking.
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The most I have, right now, is that WOLLIAM & WOLHELM both show up as existing names on the 'net.
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Watch your keyboard: Wolliam (or Willoam) is just a common typo.
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People misspell names all the time; that proves nothing. Bo is NOT etymologically derived from William. It CAN be used as a nickname for William, as well as a number of other names. There are no examples of it being used before the 20th century and it seems to be used only in the USA*, and it most likely is just a misspelling of Beau. Is that really so hard to accept?
(*not to be confused confuse with the Scandinavian and Chinese names also spelt Bo)
(*not to be confused confuse with the Scandinavian and Chinese names also spelt Bo)
This message was edited 10/22/2014, 7:42 AM
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Yes. Sabertooth seems to always be stretching etymology to suit his/her thinking. Perfect example is his/her children's names and the etymology he "made up" (his/her words, not mine).
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8-Þ
[His]
I believe the phrase you are looking for is homophonic neonyms.
I know the traditional meanings of all those we didn't coin.
[His]
I believe the phrase you are looking for is homophonic neonyms.
I know the traditional meanings of all those we didn't coin.
This message was edited 10/22/2014, 6:36 PM
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