Surnames from nicknames nobody has any more

Re:Surnames from nicknames nobody has any more by NobodyNada on Monday February 10, 2025 @12:38PM (#43002899)

No, -kin is not a suffix used anymore. English does have a diminutive suffix though, it's -y/-ie: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-y#Suffix_2

For example, John -> Johnny, Tim -> Timmy, Grace -> Gracie, cat -> kitty, horse -> horsey. As far as I can think of, it can only applied to one-syllable nouns; longer words must be clipped first -- e.g. Katherine -> Kat(y|ey|ie), Tobias -> Toby, Andrew -> Andy, stomach -> tummy.

I can't think of an augmentive suffix that can be applied to names.

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Re:Surnames from nicknames nobody has any more by munificent on Monday February 10, 2025 @01:06PM (#43003218)

I'd expect augmentives for names to be rare because they're often pejorative and the opposite of endearing. I have occasionally known people whose nickname is something like "Big Fred".

In modern English, you could probably get away with a nickname like "Fredzilla".

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Re:Surnames from nicknames nobody has any more by rendang on Monday February 10, 2025 @12:56PM (#43003106)

-kin is not but via your link https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/-kins sometimes "-ikins"/"-ykins" is used, I've heard this before but can't think of any specific examples

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Re:Surnames from nicknames nobody has any more by nemomarx on Monday February 10, 2025 @01:33PM (#43003502)

I vaguely associate it with British writing, or at least an antiquated feeling. Reminds me of Widdershins.

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