different between nickname vs hypocorism

English

Etymology

From Middle English nekename, alteration (due to a rebracketing of an ekename as a nekename) of earlier ekename (“nickname”), from eke (“also, additional”) + name (“name”). Compare Old Norse aukanafn, auknafn, auknefni (“nickname”), Danish øgenavn (“nickname”), and German Low German Ökelname (“nickname”).

For other similar cases of incorrect division, see also apron, daffodil, newt, orange, umpire.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?kne?m/

Noun

nickname (plural nicknames)

1. A familiar, invented name for a person or thing used instead of the actual name of the person or thing, often based on some noteworthy characteristic.

2. A familiar, shortened or diminutive name for a person or thing.

Usage notes

Nicknames are often given in quotation marks between the first and last names. For example: Sammy "The Bull" Gravano.

Synonyms

• (familiar invented given name): handle, hypocoristic, moniker, nick, sobriquet, pet name

Descendants

• ? German: Nickname
• ? Japanese: ?????? (nikkun?mu)

Translations

Verb

nickname (third-person singular simple present nicknames, present participle nicknaming, simple past and past participle nicknamed)

1. (transitive) To give a nickname to (a person or thing).

Translations

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin hypocorisma, a loan from Ancient Greek ?????????? (hupokórisma), ??????????? (hupokorismós, “pet name”), from ????????????? (hupokorízesthai), ???????????? (hupokorízomai, “to use a pet name; to act in a childish manner”), from ????- (hupo-, prefix indicating a small degree) +? ????????? (korízomai, “to caress”) (from ????? (kóros, “boy; youth”), ???? (kór?, “girl; young woman”)).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ha??p?k????z(?)m/, /h?-/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ha??p?k????z?m/
• Hyphenation: hy?po?cor?i?sm

Noun

hypocorism (countable and uncountable, plural hypocorisms) (linguistics)

1. (countable) A term of endearment; a hypocoristic, a pet name.

   Synonyms: nickname, pet name, sobriquet
2. (uncountable) The formation of terms of endearment or pet names.
3. (uncountable, rare) Baby talk, such as bow-wow for dog and choo-choo for train.

Derived terms

• hypocoristical
• hypocoristically

Related terms

• hypocoristic

Translations

References

Further reading

• hypocorism on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• “hypocorism, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.