I was talking with a friend the other day about "shortened" versions of given names, and I'll be honest - some of them puzzle me no end.
I mean, I get shortened versions of names such as Chris for Christine or Christopher, Dan for Daniel, Ed for Edgar, or Edward, even Hal for Harold or Pen for Penelope.
Then it starts to get strange: Hank for Henry, Jim for James, Milly for Mildred, Bob for Robert and Sadie or Sally for Sarah.
Not only is the derivation from the name strange, incorporating letters that are not in the given name, but in some cases, it's not shorter at all. Jim has the same number of syllables as James. How's that "short"?
Then there's the short versions of names that make so sense whatsoever:
I mean Daisy or Peg for Margaret? Pat or Patsy for Martha or Matilda?
How the heck do you get Dick for Richard?
My personal all time favorite is Jack for John.
Same number of letters, same number of syllables, letters that don't come from the given name.
It's just as easy to say "John" as it is "Jack", so how could that ever be considered a short version of the given name John?
I mean, I get shortened versions of names such as Chris for Christine or Christopher, Dan for Daniel, Ed for Edgar, or Edward, even Hal for Harold or Pen for Penelope.
Then it starts to get strange: Hank for Henry, Jim for James, Milly for Mildred, Bob for Robert and Sadie or Sally for Sarah.
Not only is the derivation from the name strange, incorporating letters that are not in the given name, but in some cases, it's not shorter at all. Jim has the same number of syllables as James. How's that "short"?
Then there's the short versions of names that make so sense whatsoever:
I mean Daisy or Peg for Margaret? Pat or Patsy for Martha or Matilda?
How the heck do you get Dick for Richard?
My personal all time favorite is Jack for John.
Same number of letters, same number of syllables, letters that don't come from the given name.
It's just as easy to say "John" as it is "Jack", so how could that ever be considered a short version of the given name John?