DIMINUTIVE | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Doll

August 14, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Dolly“, a diminutive of “Dorothy” or “Dolores”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Dee, Dodie, Dolley, Dollie, Dolly, Dora, Dorit, Dory, Dot, Dottie, Dotty, Lola, Lollie, Lolly, Moll, Molly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Doll, the kitchen wench, in “A Brother to Dragons” (written in 1886, set in 1586), from A Brother to Dragons, and Other Old Time Tales (1888), by Amélie Rives.
– Family nickname for Dolly Lorton, the heedless, gossiping youngest sister of the Lorton family, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Family nickname for Lily Pearl, the little girl whose family life is recounted in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).

Maudie

August 14, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Maud” / “Maude“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Malta, Mat, Mathilda, Matilda, Mattie, Matty, Maud, Maude, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, Tilly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Nickname given to Maud Lorton, the soft-hearted middle sister of the Lorton family, in “The Youngest Miss Lorton”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

Poll

August 13, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Polly“, a variant of “Molly“, which is a diminutive of “Mary“. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Pauline“, “Paulette”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Moll, Mollie, Molly, Paula, Pol, Pola, Pollie, Polly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Family nickname for Polly Branghton, the youngest child of Madame Duval’s (and Evelina’s) cousins, the crude, ill-mannered Branghton clan, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.

Moll

August 13, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Molly“, a diminutive of “Mary“, “Maria“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Maille, Malle, Manon, Molle, Mollie, Molly, Pol, Pola, Poll, Pollie, Polly, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– The nickname Captain Mirvan gives to his daughter Maria Mirvan, Evelina’s dearest friend, with whom she enters into London society, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.

Lucy

August 13, 2014 § 7 Comments

ORIGIN:
English version of “Lucia”, the feminine form of “Lucius”, from the Latin for “light”. Sometimes used as a diminutive of “Lucasta”, “Lucille”, “Lucinda”, “Lucretia“, “Louisa” / “Louise”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Luca, Lucasta, Luce, Lucetta, Lucette, Luci, Lucie, Lucia, Lucienne, Lucila, Lucile, Lucilla, Lucille, Lucinda, Lucinde, Lucine, Lucretia, Lulu, Luzia, Louisa, Louise, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Miss Lucy Boler, whose life is saved when her cat, Cora, alerts her to a fire, as told in “The Kit-Kat Club”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Lucy Miles, one of Dolly’s friends, in “Dolly Varden”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Mrs. Lucy Mirvan, Lady Howard’s daughter, who carries Evelina into London society as friend and companion to her own daughter, Maria, in Evelina, or, The History of a Young Lady’s Entrance into the World (1778), by Fanny Burney.
– Lucy Steele, a clever, manipulative, and self-serving young woman, whose beauty and shrewdness can’t quite cover for her “want of real elegance and artfulness” for those who are paying attention, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).

WRITERS:
– Lucy M. Boston (1892-1990), English novelist.
– Lucy Clifford (1846-1929), British novelist and journalist (known as “Mrs. W.K. Clifford”).
– Lucy Grealy (1963-2002), American poet and memoirist.
– Lucy Herbert (1669-1743/44), English devotional writer.
– Lucy Beatrice Malleson (1899-1973), English author who wrote under the pen names “Anne Meredith” and “Anthony Gilbert”.
– Lucy Maud (L.M.) Montgomery (1874-1942), Canadian author.
– Lucy Fitch Perkins (1865-1937), American children’s book writer and illustrator.
– Lucy Walker (1907-1987), pen name used by Australian writer Dorothy McClemans (also as “Dorothy Lucy Sanders” and “Shelley Dean”).

Matt

August 12, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened form of “Mattie” / “Matty” or “Matthew“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Maddi, Maddie, Maddy, Madge, Mart, Martie, Marty, Mat, Matti, Mattie, Matty, Maud, Maude, Maudie, Midge, Pat, Patti, Pattie, Patty, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, Tilly, etc.
For boys: Mat, Mattie, Matty, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Matt (Matthew) Creighton, Ellen’s husband and Jethro’s father, a well-respected farmer of integrity and compassion, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Matt (Mattie) Silver, Zeena’s attractive young cousin who comes to stay with the Fromes, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).

Mattie

August 12, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Matty“, “Maddie”, etc.; diminutive of “Matilda“, “Martha“, etc., or of “Matthew“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Maddi, Maddie, Maddy, Madge, Mart, Martie, Marty, Mat, Matt, Matti, Matty, Maud, Maude, Maudie, Midge, Pat, Patti, Pattie, Patty, Tilda, Tilde, Tillie, Tilly, etc.
For boys: Mat, Matt, Matty, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Mattie Silver (called “Matt” for short), Zeena’s attractive young cousin who comes to stay with the Fromes, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).

Ned

August 12, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Edward“, “Edmund”, “Edwin“, “Edgar”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Ed, Edd, Eddi, Eddie, Eddy, Nedd, Neddie, Neddy, Ted, Tedd, Teddie, Teddy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ned Hale, Ruth Varnum’s fiancé (and later husband), whose romance fares far better than does Ethan’s, in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).
– Ned Hamlyn, the friend and fellow boarder who helps Jim to set right the mess he has impulsively made of his situation, in “The Tragedy of the Unexpected”, from Nora Perry’s The Tragedy of the Unexpected and Other Stories (published in 1880, but set in the 1870s).

WRITERS:
– Ned Buntline (1821-1886), pen name of American journalist, publicist, publisher, and writer Edward Zane Carroll (E.Z.C.) Judson, Sr.
– Ned Calmer (1907-1986), American author and journalist.
– Ned Fairchild (b. 1929), pen name of American songwriter Nelda Fairchild.
– Ned Marin (1896-1955), American producer and screenwriter.
– Ned Miller (b. 1925), American singer and songwriter.
– Ned O’Gorman (1929-2014), American author, educator, and poet.
– Ned Rorem (b. 1923), American composer and diarist.
– Ned Sherrin (1931-2007), English author, broadcaster, and director.
– Ned Vizzini (1981-2013), American novelist.
– Ned (Edward) Ward (1667-1731), English publican and satirist.
– Ned Washington (1901-1976), American lyricist.

Zeena

August 12, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Zena”, possibly a feminine version of “Zeno”, or a variant of “Xenia” / “Zenia”, or a diminutive of names like “Rosina” or “Zenobia“, “Zenaida”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sena, Seena, Senia, Sina, Xena, Xeena, Xenia, Xina, Zena, Zenia, Zenicia, Zenija, Zina, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Zeena (Zenobia) Frome, Ethan’s sickly, caustic wife in Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome (written in 1911, but set in the 1890s or first few years of the 1900s).

Belle

August 12, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Like “Bella“, a diminutive of “Belinda”, “Beulah”, etc., or names ending in “-ella” (such as “Isabella”, “Annabella”, “Arabella“, etc.), or names ending in “-belle” (such as “Maybelle”, “Dorabelle”, etc.) Possibly from French, meaning “beautiful”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Arabel, Arabella, Arabelle, Amabel, Amabella, Amabelle, Anabel, Anabella, Anabelle, Annabel, Annabella, Annabelle, Bell, Belle, Belina, Belinda, Belinha, Beulah, Elizabeth, Isabel, Isabella, Isabelle, Izabel, Izabella, Izabelle, Sabella, Sabelle, Zabel, Zabella, Zabelle, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Belle Archie (née White), Dr. Archie’s unpleasant wife, “one of those people who are stingy without motive or reason”, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Belle Jeffreys, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.

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