LL-L: "Nicknames" LOWLANDS-L, 04.JUN.2001 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 04.JUN.2001 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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 A=Afrikaans, Ap=Appalachean, D=Dutch, E=English, F=Frisian, L=Limburgish
 LS=Low Saxon (Low German), S=Scots, Sh=Shetlandic, Z=Zeelandic (Zeeuws)
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From: Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org]
Subject: "Nicknames"

> From: $ Elsie Zinsser <ezinsser at simpross.co.za>
> Subject: LL-L: "Nicknames" LOWLANDS-L, 01.JUN.2001 (02) [E]
>
> Hi all
>
>         Sandy Fleming [sandy at scotstext.org] asked about specific
> nicknames for specific surnames
>         "does it occur in other Lowlands languages? Can anyone offer any
> examples, either
>         in English or any other Lowlands languages?"
>
>         Yes, in Afrikaans you'll occasionally still find "Pine" Pienaar,
> "Blackie" Swart, "Tiny" de Lange, "Van" Van der Merwe.  They seem to be
> English language influenced. Others are: "Bes" Bezuidenhout and "Koeks"
> Koekemoer (I've even heard of an "Oom Koekie").

Yes, there are nicknames like this in English too - "Chalky White" for
example. The thing that got me wondering about "Nobby Clark" and "Sticky
Sharples" (and now "Tug Wilson", which actually does sound familiar to
me now that Colin mentions it), is that there seems to be no logical
(nor even illogical, cf "Tiny" de Lange) connection between the nickname
and the surname.

In other words I couldn't see how the nicknames came to be connected
with the surnames - can anybody explain any of them? Maybe, as Colin's
examples suggest, it's an armed forces tradition - but this still doesn't
explain the origins of any of the nicknames.

Sandy
http://scotstext.org
A dinna dout him, for he says that he
On nae accoont wad ever tell a lee.
                          - C.W.Wade,
                    'The Adventures o McNab'

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