hypocorism
Sign in to saveAlso known as hypocoristic, shortened name, diminutive name, pet name, hypocoristic form, short nickname, diminutive form
A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also hypocoristic), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as Izzy for Isabel or Bob for Robert, or it may be unrelated.
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A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also hypocoristic), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as Izzy for Isabel or Bob for Robert, or it may be unrelated.
==Origins and usage== Etymologically, the term hypocorism is from Ancient Greek (), from (), meaning 'to call by endearing names'. The prefix refers in this case to creating a diminutive, something that is smaller in a tender or affectionate sense; the root originates in the Greek for 'to caress' or 'to treat with tokens of affection', and is related to the words () 'boy, youth' and () 'girl, young woman'.