DIMINUTIVE | The Art of Literary Nomenclature

Nabby

August 7, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Abigail”, from Hebrew, meaning “my father is joy”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Abegail, Abi, Abigail, Abigayle, Abbey, Abbi, Abbie, Abby, Avigail, Avi, Gail, Gaila, Gala, Gale, Gayla, Gayle, Tabbie, Tabby, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Aunt Nabby, who looks after Ruth and Sammy Bowen in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Ben

August 7, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Benjamin“, “Benedict”, “Reuben“, etc., diminutive of “Bernard“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bennie, Benny, Bent, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Ben Bowen, Ruth and Sammy’s ailing grandfather in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Ben Harris, a local who tries to stick up for Jethro against Guy Wortman’s bullying, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).
– Ben (Reuben) Huckabuck, the Ridd’s wealthy, persnickety uncle in Lorna Doone, by R.D. Blackmore (written in 1869, set in the 1670s-1680s).

WRITERS:
– Ben Jonson (1572-1637), English critic, dramatist, and poet.

Sammy

August 7, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Samuel”, “Samson”, or “Samantha”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Sam, Sami, Sammi, Sammie.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Sammy Bowen, Ruth Bowen’s energetic younger brother in “Water Lilies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Sammy (Sam) Turner, Ed Turner’s 18-year-old son, who gives Jethro a dog (to help keep him company and to protect his family), and who ends up part of Sherman’s army, in Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (1964; set during the American Civil War, 1861-1865).

WRITERS:
– Sammy Cahn (1913-1993), American lyricist, songwriter, and musician.

Carrie

August 7, 2014 § 3 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Caroline“.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Cady, Caddie, Caddy, Calleigh, Callie, Cari, Carla, Carry, Kallie, Kari, Karla, Karrie, Karry, Keri, Kerri, Kerrie, Kerry, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Carrie, a young guest of Mrs. Warburton’s, rather inclined to be frivolous, in “Pansies” from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Carrie (Caroline) Meeber (also known as “Cad” or “Miss Madenda”), the titular self-interested dreamer of Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).

Fan

August 6, 2014 § 2 Comments

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Fannie” / “Fanny“, diminutive of “Frances“, “Francisca”, “Stefania”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Chica, Cissie, Cissy, Fannie, Fanny, Fran, Franca, Franci, Francie, Francka, Franka, Frankie, Franky, Frannie, Franny, Franzi, Paca, Paquita, Sissie, Sissy, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Fan (Fanny) Fletcher, a friend of Jessie Delano who needs dancing lessons, in “An Ivy Spray and Ladies’ Slippers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Fan (Frances) Wentworth, Will’s conceited, snobbish cousin in “That Little Smith Girl” from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).

Maud

August 6, 2014 § 4 Comments

ORIGIN:
Alternate spelling of “Maude“, diminutive of “Matilda“.

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

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Lady Maud, Robin’s mother, who must go away to serve as lady-in-waiting to the Queen, in The Door in the Wall (written in 1949 and set sometime between 1327-1377), by Marguerite de Angeli.
– Maud Aplin, a snobbish, bragging girl from a snobbish, bragging family, in “Esther Bodn”, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).
– Maud Fletcher, Fanny Fletcher’s younger sister and a pupil at the dancing school where Jessie Delano works, in “An Ivy Spray and Ladies’ Slippers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Maud Fleming, Ally’s cousin, who is perhaps too quick to agree, in “Ally”, from A Flock of Girls and Boys.
– Maud Hallett, friend of the Gray girls and Berry Joy, in A Little Country Girl (1885), by Susan Coolidge.
– Maud Lorton (called “Maudie” when her youngest sister wants something from her), 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).

WRITERS:
– Maud Hart Lovelace (1892-1980), American author.

QUOTATIONS:
– From the poem “Maud“, written in 1855 by Alfred, Lord Tennyson: “Come into the garden, Maud, / For the black bat, Night, has flown, / Come into the garden, Maud, / I am here at the gate alone”
– “Maud Muller” is a poem written by John Greenleaf Whitter in 1856, which explores the theme of “what might have been!”, begins: “Maud Muller, on a summer’s day, / Raked the meadows sweet with hay. / Beneath her torn hat glowed the wealth / Of simple beauty and rustic health.”

Jessie

August 6, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Jessica“, or an old Scottish diminutive of “Jean” / “Janet“. Possibly a variation of the masculine “Jesse”, from Hebrew, meaning “gift”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Janet, Jean, Jess, Jessa, Jesslin, Jessalyn, Jesse, Jessenia, Jessica, Jessika, Jessy, Teasag, Yesika, Yessica, etc.
For boys: Jess, Jesse.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Jessie Darcey, a wildly popular soprano in Chicago, whose talent and personality Thea does not care for, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Jessie Delano, who must work as a dancing school instructor to try and support herself and her invalid sister, Laura, in “An Ivy Spray and Ladies’ Slippers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Jessie Mayo, of the twisted ankle, one of the girls Doctor Tom tells the story of Sylvie to, in “The Story of Little Syl”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).

Biddy

August 6, 2014 § 1 Comment

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Bridget“, an Irish name meaning “strength” or “exalted one”.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Bea, Bedelia, Bee, Biddie, Bidelia, Birdie, Birdy, Breda, Bride, Bridie, Brit, Brita, Britt, Britta, Gitta, Gittan, Gitte, Reeta, Rita, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Biddy Branghton, the peevish older daughter 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.
– Biddy Henshawe, an aunt of Willoughby’s intended bride, Miss Sophia Grey, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Biddy Ryan, a disreputable old woman Marion Warren tries to help in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

Harry

August 6, 2014 § 10 Comments

ORIGIN:
Diminutive of “Harold”, “Harris”, “Henry“, “Harriet“, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
For girls: Enrica, Etta, Ettie, Etty, Halle, Hallie, Harriet, Harriett, Harrietta, Harriette, Hattie, Hatty, Henrietta, Henriette, Het, Hettie, Hetty, Yetta, etc.
For boys: Amerigo, Amery, Arrigo, Emmerich, Emery, Emory, Enrico, Enrique, Enzo, Hal, Hank, Harald, Harold, Harri, Heinrich, Heinz, Hennie, Henny, Henri, Hendrik, Hendry, Henrik, Henry, Henryk, Herrold, Herry, Imre, Imrich, Imrus, Ric, Rico, Rik, Rikki, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Harry, Mr. Knightley’s butler, in Jane Austen’s Emma (1815).
– Harry, a beau of one of the other shop girls in the Chicago shoe factory where Carrie first finds employment, in Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie (published in 1900; set 1889-1890s).
– Harry, a boy-of-all-work at Fitzgerald and Moy’s, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry, the regular desk clerk at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, in The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (written in 1915 and set in the 1890s).
– Harry, the name of more than one of the boys Lily dates, who perhaps not-so-coincidentally often have names which rhyme with her long-absent father, in Sleeping Arrangements, by Laura Cunningham (published 1989, set in the 1950s).
– Harry Burbeck, a fellow Elk who will be performing in blackface for the lodge theatrical fundraiser, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Camden, the consummate gentleman, who seems everything a woman could wish for, in “What Hope Bell Found in Her Stocking”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories by Nora Perry (1889).
– Harry Dashwood, John’s little boy, for whose benefit Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters are entirely overlooked and impoverished, in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility (set between 1792-1797, published in 1811).
– Harry (Harriet) Dunbar, a confident, stout-hearted girl, one of the founding members of the children’s society for the prevention of cruelty to cats, in “The Kit-Kat Club”, and who refuses to be bullied by the snobs who come into the shop in “The Little Dunbars, and Their Charming Christmas Plans”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Harry Elliott, Edith’s brother, who Dolly embarrasses herself in front of, in “Dolly Varden”, from The Youngest Miss Lorton, and Other Stories.
– Harry McGarren, one of Hurstwood’s friends, the managing editor of the Times, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Quincel, a fellow Elk and friend of Drouet’s, who asks him to find a girl to star in the lodge’s theatrical fundraiser, in Sister Carrie.
– Harry Warren, Marion Warren’s brother in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.
– Sir Harry Willing, an officer in His Majesty’s army who admires and courts the lovely Sibyl, in “Sibyl’s Slipper”, a story of the American Revolutionary War, from Nora Perry’s A Flock of Girls and Boys (1895).

WRITERS:
– Harry Bates (1900-1981), American editor and writer.
– Harry Brown (1917-1986), American novelist, poet, and screenwriter.
– Harry Harrison (1925-2012), American author.
– Harry Patterson (b. 1929), English author who also published under the pen names “Hugh Marlowe”, “Jack Higgins”, “James Graham”, and “Martin Fallon”.
– Harry Bache (B.) Smith (1860-1936), American composer, lyricist, and writer.
– Harry Whittington (1915-1989), American writer.

QUOTATIONS:
– In “Tom, Dick or Harry“, a song from the 1948 Broadway musical Kiss Me, Kate by Cole Porter, Bianca and her suitors sing of her eagerness to wed: “I’m a maid who would marry / And would take with no qualm / Any Tom, Dick or Harry, / Any Harry, Dick or Tom. / I’m a maid mad to marry / And will take double-quick / Any Tom, Dick or Harry, / Any Tom, Harry or Dick!”

Tot

August 6, 2014 § Leave a comment

ORIGIN:
Shortened version of “Tottie” or “Totty”, which is, like “Lottie” / “Lotty“, a diminutive of “Charlotte“, “Liselotte”, etc.

VARIATIONS and NICKNAMES:
Let, Lette, Lettie, Letty, Lotta, Lotte, Lottie, Tot, Tottie, Totty, etc.

REFERENCES IN LITERATURE:
– Tot Kennedy, a poverty-stricken little girl Ida Standish befriends in “May Flowers”, from A Garland for Girls, by Louisa May Alcott, 1887.

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