Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun In Greek and Latin grammar, same as
diminutive .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Endearing; diminutive.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Pertaining to a
nickname , usually indicatingintimacy with the person. - noun A
nickname , especially one indicatingintimacy and formed through ashortening of the original name.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The initial element _Caed_ -- or _Cead_ (probably adopted from British names in which it represents _catu_, war) appears combined with an Old English terminal element in the name _Caedbaed_ (cp., however, the Irish name Cathbad), and hypocoristic forms of names containing it were borne by the English saints Ceadda (commonly known as St Chad) and his brother Cedd, called Ceadwealla in one MS. of the _Old English
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 4 "Bulgaria" to "Calgary" Various
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Simple names appear to have been more frequent in early times, but some are in reality hypocoristic, i. e., abbreviated forms of compound names as Saul (asked), David (beloved) Nathan (he gave), etc., which were probably combined with a Divine name, Yah or 'El. Simple Names
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913
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It could be a hypocoristic or baby-talk form of hysterical, or it might be from the imitative word hiss; or perhaps it is a variant of another dialect term, jesse, meaning a ` severe scolding, 'which is probably from a Biblical allusion.
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Linguistic boffins have no problems with a statement like "dim. of BAUGH, from W bychan, hypocoristic form of bach little."
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Besides phonetic and morphological arbitrariness, there is an unpredictable element in the semantics of hypocoristic forms, at least in Australia.
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Perhaps what all hypocoristic forms have in common is an atmosphere of familiarity.
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&c., most of these being "hypocoristic affixes," corresponding in a measure to modern pet-names.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1 "Austria, Lower" to "Bacon" Various
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Of the simple names a few seem to have been suggested by particular circumstances attending the child's birth: e.g, Jacob (the supplanter), Joseph (possibly an hypocoristic name: "Whom God added"
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 10: Mass Music-Newman 1840-1916 1913
reesetee commented on the word hypocoristic
Not a very hypocoristic word, is it? ;-)
July 26, 2007
slumry commented on the word hypocoristic
Not at all! I changed to hypocorism, but forgot to eliminate all traces of my presence here. Somehow pet name loses something in this deal.
July 26, 2007