"Jimbo"; was: Yumbo
Douglas G. Wilson
douglas at NB.NET
Sun Aug 5 18:09:07 UTC 2007
>I thought "Jimbo" derives from "Jim boy."
If anybody knows one way or the other, it ain't me.
But regardless of whether this is true or not, I think the "-m" just
somehow calls for a "-bo".
You'll encounter Jimbo and Tombo and Sambo (which is sometimes a
special case, and possibly was a special case originally).
You won't encounter (at least not very often) Johnbo, Joebo, Billbo
(outside Tolkien), Jerrybo, Dougbo, etc.
Maybe "Jimbo" and "yumbo" have "Jumbo" or "Sambo" or something as a model?
-- Doug Wilson
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.11.4/936 - Release Date: 8/4/2007 2:42 PM
------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
More information about the Ads-l
mailing list