hypocoristic, a. (n.)
(ˌhɪpəʊ-, ˌhaɪpəʊkəˈrɪstɪk)
[ad. Gr. ὑποκοριστικός, in ὄνοµα ὑποκοριστικόν pet-name, diminutive, f. ὑποκορίζεσθαι: see prec. Cf. F. hypocoristique.]
Of the nature of a pet-name; pertaining to the habit of using endearing or euphemistic terms. Also as n.
| 1796 Pegge Anonym. (1809) 98 Harry..is the free or hypocoristic name for Henry. 1865 Farrar Chapt. Lang. xxii. 282 Imagine the power and danger of this hypocoristic process in times when it was fashionable to fling a delicate covering over the naked hideousness of vice. 1889 in Cent. Dict. 1930 Times Lit. Suppl. 1 May 361/2 Mere riddles..where there is no question of..stop-voicing of hypocoristics. 1953 K. H. Jackson Lang. & Hist. Early Brit. ii. 555 The AS. personal names Cata, Ceatta..are from Pr[imitive] W[elsh] hypocoristics. 1957 R. W. Zandvoort Handbk. Eng. Gram. ix. ii. 303 The technical term for attributive ‘pet’ is ‘hypocoristic’ (adj. and noun). |
So † hypocoˈristical a.; hypocoˈristically adv.
| 1609 Bp. W. Barlow Answ. Nameless Cath. 20 An hypocoristicall alleuiation. 1652 Urquhart Jewel Wks. (1834) 292 With hyperbolical [expressions] either epitatically or hypocoristically, as the purpose required to be elated or extenuated. |