etymology - Origin of the "-y" or "-ie" diminutive suffix to denote intimacy/tenderness? (E.g. Bob→Bobby, dad→daddy, Doug→Dougie)


Many names seem to get a "-y" or "-ie" at the end when the speaker wishes to denote a hint of familiarity, intimacy, or tenderness. Examples can be seen not just in names, but in terms like puppy, kitty. Close friends of Robert might call him Bobby, whereas, if you think about it, it's hard to imagine Bobby used in a more formal setting.


What is the origin of this practice?



Answer



The "-y" is a suffix for forming diminutive nouns, and Wiktionary has an entry dedicated to it, though it doesn't say anything about etymology other than "from Middle English and Scots". Thankfully, The Free Library provides lots of further insight, but the bottom line is that nobody really knows for sure, and "the etymology of the diminutive suffix -y, -ie [will] most certainly remain controversial". The same suffix exists in modern German, where it is spelled as "-i" (Mami, Papi, Mausi, Steffi, Susi, Schumi), but again, the connection to English is unclear.


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