15-08-2002 12:08									#1
	Why William is Bill and Richard is **** ? Support Apolyton

I am not an American. And I can never understand why :

William is often called Bill.
Richard is called ****.
Robert is called Bob.

Can anyone explain this ? Are there other examples around ?

Edited my post to include other examples listed by everybody :

James = Jim
John = Jack (???)
Katherine = Kate
Henry = Harry/Hank
Harold = Hal
Charles = Chuck/Charlie
Anthony/Antonio = Tony/Toño
Elizabeth = Liz/Lisa
Margerie = Midge
Margaret = Peggy (???)
Alexander = Sasha (???)
Philippe = Pippa
Jose = Chepe/Pepe (???)
Xavier = Japos (???)
Francisco =Paco (???)
Ernesto = nestor (???)
Fidel = fide

(???) = it's so different, I wonder why.

Last edited by rush on 16-08-2002 at 07:30

	15-08-2002 12:18									#2
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Just tradition I guess.

	15-08-2002 12:19									#3
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Oh, yeah. James is called Jim.

	15-08-2002 12:53									#4
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John is called Jack.

	15-08-2002 12:55									#5
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quote: Originally posted by Oerdin Oh, yeah. James is called Jim.

quote: John is called Jack.

****, these were the fist two that popped into my mind when i read the thread title and it looks like I was beat to them. I think that bout covers it. As to why this is, I dunno. A good question indeed.

	15-08-2002 12:57									#6
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Harold is called Hal

Henry is called Harry or Hank

Katherine is called Kate

Last edited by DanS on 15-08-2002 at 13:09

	15-08-2002 13:04									#7
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Blame the Brits. This goes back at least 500 years.

	15-08-2002 15:01									#8
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Especially "Harry" and "Kate".

	15-08-2002 16:27									#9
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Hank

	15-08-2002 16:28									#10
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It's fortunate that it is Americans that get nicknamed that, and not Cockneys.

	15-08-2002 16:33									#11
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quote: Originally posted by Boddington's It's fortunate that it is Americans that get nicknamed that, and not Cockneys.

	15-08-2002 16:37									#12
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quote: Robert is called Bob.

I would never listen if anybody would name me 'Bob'.
I can't even find the connection between Robert and Bob.

Catherine and kate makes sence to me,
but Robert and Bob.

just call me Robert. Or CyberShy

	15-08-2002 16:38									#13
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OK Bob

	15-08-2002 16:38									#14
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Kate is short for Bob

	15-08-2002 16:59									#15
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quote: Originally posted by DanS John is called Jack.

The French version of John is Jaque. Yielding Jack in English after the Normans finally learned the language three generations after the conquest.

	15-08-2002 17:11									#16
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Charles = Chuck, or Chas

	15-08-2002 17:12									#17
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..or Charlie

	15-08-2002 17:13									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Ethelred The French version of John is Jaque. Yielding Jack in English after the Normans finally learned the language three generations after the conquest.

That's Jacques.

	15-08-2002 17:17									#19
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Hey it was the Normans that learned to spell. I am Irish-German-American and I had the good sense to take Spanish and not French.

	15-08-2002 17:18									#20
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I am a Quebecois and didn't have a choice...

	15-08-2002 19:28									#21
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Actually, Jack and Jacques are unrelated names that coincidentally sound the same. Jacques is, IIRC, the French version of James; the French version of John is Jean.

Jack came from Jonkin, a Germanic diminuative of the name John. Again, IIRC.

(Edited for lousy spelling)

	15-08-2002 19:34									#22
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I think it was developed to save disc space on computers in the 70's.

	15-08-2002 19:34									#23
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Anthony is called Tony

Elizabeth is called Liz or Lisa

	15-08-2002 19:39									#24
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Doesn't Tony come from Antonio?

	15-08-2002 19:41									#25
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Same name, different origins. I know more Anthonys than Antonios still.

Oddly, I haven't heard any Antonios referred to as Tony.

	15-08-2002 21:01									#26
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then there's Margerie -> Midge
two of the most horrifically bad names around

	15-08-2002 23:07									#27
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quote: Originally posted by DanS Same name, different origins. I know more Anthonys than Antonios still. Oddly, I haven't heard any Antonios referred to as Tony.

That's 'cause you don't live in Spain. But we would rather spell it Toni than Tony, I think.

	15-08-2002 23:13									#28
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I have a cousin called Margerie, and we've never called her Midge……… We'll call her Margie though.

	16-08-2002 01:13									#29
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The french version of "John" is "Jean". This is related to, like, Sean and Shane and stuff, but not to Jack.

Do any nicknames actually lengthen the name? In sweden, "Bo" often becomes "Bosse"...

	16-08-2002 01:48									#30
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Robert = Bobert = Bob.

...yes, I know one person that goes by 'Bobert'...

My logic-defying favorite?

Margaret = Peggy