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I'm trying to understand the etymology of the name "Penny." I have always understood it to come from Penelope, and that makes sense to me, even if I don't understand the morphology.
HOWEVER, I've seen a number of references that indicate Penny is a nickname for Elizabeth (as if Elizabeth doesn't have enough nicknames, it's worse that Robert).
So I'm trying to understand how Penny moved from Penelope to Elizabeth; or how it spontaneously popped out of Elizabeth.
A real stumper, to be sure!
Thanks in advance for any help!
Peter
PS: for any email responses, please remove the "spamfree." from my email.
HOWEVER, I've seen a number of references that indicate Penny is a nickname for Elizabeth (as if Elizabeth doesn't have enough nicknames, it's worse that Robert).
So I'm trying to understand how Penny moved from Penelope to Elizabeth; or how it spontaneously popped out of Elizabeth.
A real stumper, to be sure!
Thanks in advance for any help!
Peter
PS: for any email responses, please remove the "spamfree." from my email.
1
Replies
What are these number of sources? The most likely pathway is through ethnic variations like Elisapeta (Samoan, nn usually Peta or Peka) or Elspeth (Scots). It would also involved some rather complex rhyming manouveres which isn't terribly likely - most people find Beth-Bett-Betty-Tetty a bit of a stretch.
Is morphology being used to describe anything but a branch of biology these days? How strange. But I can see what you're meaning so oddly effective. The path of change that gets Penny from Penelope and Peninah is the English habit of shortening names from the first syllable. In Latin-based languages it's often a habit of shortening from the final syllable. So Thomas becomes 'Tom' but Tomas is often 'Mas'. My cousin Penelope is 'Penny' in America but the French cousins say Lope a bit like Lupe. And one uncle calls her Cantalope but that's another story.....
Devon
Is morphology being used to describe anything but a branch of biology these days? How strange. But I can see what you're meaning so oddly effective. The path of change that gets Penny from Penelope and Peninah is the English habit of shortening names from the first syllable. In Latin-based languages it's often a habit of shortening from the final syllable. So Thomas becomes 'Tom' but Tomas is often 'Mas'. My cousin Penelope is 'Penny' in America but the French cousins say Lope a bit like Lupe. And one uncle calls her Cantalope but that's another story.....
Devon
1
I knew a girl years ago whose given names were Yvonne Frances; she had a nursemaid, of all things, as a baby who called her Penny Squeaker, and she was accordingly always known as Penny, in and out of the family. She didn't respond to Yvonne at all.
However, once she got to university she shared digs with two other girls who happily expanded Penny back to Penelope and called her Lopes! (Not Lopes - lopes like a rabbit moving) And she responded happily to that as well ... if I saw her again, it's probably what I'd instinctively call her, after over 30 years.
However, once she got to university she shared digs with two other girls who happily expanded Penny back to Penelope and called her Lopes! (Not Lopes - lopes like a rabbit moving) And she responded happily to that as well ... if I saw her again, it's probably what I'd instinctively call her, after over 30 years.
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This is just my personal experience . . .
I have an aunt named Penny. Her actual given name is Helen Gisela, but when she was born someone pointed out that her hair was the colour of a new penny, and the nickname stuck and was used as if it were her first name.
So, "Penny" could be a nickname of the "Shorty" or "Bluey" kind, a description or reference nickname rather than one pertaining to the actual given name.
Have you seen it more than once as a nickname for Elizabeth?
I have an aunt named Penny. Her actual given name is Helen Gisela, but when she was born someone pointed out that her hair was the colour of a new penny, and the nickname stuck and was used as if it were her first name.
So, "Penny" could be a nickname of the "Shorty" or "Bluey" kind, a description or reference nickname rather than one pertaining to the actual given name.
Have you seen it more than once as a nickname for Elizabeth?
1