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• hypocorism •

Pronunciation: hai-pê-kor-ri-zêm • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A pet name, a nickname, an unofficial affectionate label. 2. The use of such names.

Notes: Here is the word for all shortened names and some labels, including diminutive nicknames like Billy or Jimmy, or affectionate labels like darling, lazy bones, and Sunshine. The adjective, which may be used as a noun referring to such a name, is hypocoristic.

In Play: There are two hypocorisms of Robert, the nickname Bob and the diminutive Bobby. Hypocorisms need not be names or labels for people today. While Nana is a hypocorism for Grandma and Toots, Buster, Missy fit anybody, so are welly for wellington boot and Beamer for BMW hypocoristics.

Word History: Today's Good Word was swiped from Late Latin hypocorisma, which swiped it from Greek hypokorisma, the action noun for hypokorizesthai "to call by endearing names". This Greek word is made up : hypo- "beneath, less than, secretly" + korizesthai "to caress", from koros "boy" or kore "girl". These two Greek words are both from PIE k'er-/k'or- "to grow", detectable also in Latin Ceres "goddess of agriculture", cerealis "of grain" (whence English cereal), and creatus "produced, begotten, created" (whence English create), Armenian ser "genus, gender, race", and Albanian thjerë "lentil". Hypo- descended from PIE upo "(from) under, beneath". Latin sub "under, below, beneath" was probably a reduction of ex "(out) from" + upo. We find upo lurking behind Sanskrit upasti- "subordinate", English up, and Welsh uchel "high". (Now a bow to Anna Jung for suggesting we bring today's fascinating Good Word out of its home in linguistics.)

I was greeted this morning by a passing stranger who called me cobber. I have to say that these days, even in Australia, that is pretty unusual. But if I had responded "Thanks for that hypocorism", I guess I would have garnered a less affectionate title.

Presumably even hostile ones are hypocorisms? It doesn't have to be affectionate, does it?

Given the definition and the root word definitions, I'd say hypocorisms should be affectionate or endearing. Caressing is not usually considered hostile.

What's a cobber anyway?

Cobber is old fashioned, but it is a generic name for a man whose name you don't know but with whom you are passing the time of day. "G'Day, Cobber." Equivalent of Jimmy in Scotland, Jacques in France and Tommy (I think) in England of the first world war era.