Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A name of endearment; a pet name.
- noun The use of such names.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A pet name.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A term of
endearment ; apet name . - noun Baby-talk, e.g. bow-wow for dog, choo-choo for train.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a name of endearment (especially one using a diminutive suffix)
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Late Latin hypocorisma, from Greek hupokorisma, from hupokorizesthai, to call by endearing names : hupo-, beneath, secretly; see hypo– + korizesthai, to caress (from koros, boy or korē, girl; see ker- in Indo-European roots).]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Late Latin hypocorisma, a loan from Ancient Greek noun ὑποκόρισμα (hypokórisma) from the verb ὑποκορίζομαι (hypokorízomai, "to talk in a childish manner"). The Ancient Greek verb ὑποκορίζομαι (hypokorízomai) is compounded from ὑπό (hypo-, "under, beneath, secretly") + κορίζομαι (korízomai, "to caress"). In the verb you can see the word κόρος (kóros, "boy") or κόρη (kórē, "girl").
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Examples
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It is what Sidney Baker (The Australian Language) calls a hypocorism, a form ending in - ie, - y, or - ey, or
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Now you would think President Obama's stimulus bill would have a earmark to rebuild these levees around the country but it does not but the outrage the liberals threw at Bush for doing nothing smells of hypocorism.
CNN Political Ticker 2009
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Now you would think President Obama's stimulus bill would have a earmark to rebuild these levees around the country but it does not but the outrage the liberals threw at Bush for doing nothing smells of hypocorism.
CNN Political Ticker 2009
slumry commented on the word hypocorism
a pet name
July 26, 2007
seanahan commented on the word hypocorism
Don't let it fool you, this word is pronounced very strangely.
July 26, 2007
slumry commented on the word hypocorism
Fortunately for me I don't expect to be asked to pronounce it anytime soon!
July 26, 2007
treeseed commented on the word hypocorism
Pronunciation: \hī-ˈpä-kə-ˌri-zəm; ˌhī-pə-ˈkȯr-ˌi-\
February 23, 2008