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ArchivesRe: Nienke
in reply to a message by Evey
It's from the Dutch province of Friesland, in the north. The pronunciation is more like neen-ke, with the ie indicating a high, short i sound as in lip.
To my knowledge it's a short form of Catherina: Rina -> Nina -> Nienke. The -ke ending is a diminutive or affectionate form, like the -kin in lambkin.
Hope that helps!
To my knowledge it's a short form of Catherina: Rina -> Nina -> Nienke. The -ke ending is a diminutive or affectionate form, like the -kin in lambkin.
Hope that helps!
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Luckily, a friend of mine has a cousin called Nienke! This is what she gave me:
"Can you believe it, my real names are Trijntje Bootsma (my Frisian
grandmother's first name and maiden name). But according to my Frisian
father the nickname (noemnaam) for Trijntje is Nienke - not sure why, but I know another Frisian Nienke who's real name is also Trijntje. I think it is quite possible that Trijntje comes from Catharina and then became Nienke."
So, there we have it! She's right about Trijntje coming from Catharina - it would be pronounced more-or-less like train-ke - and, I think, confirms my suspicion.
All the best
"Can you believe it, my real names are Trijntje Bootsma (my Frisian
grandmother's first name and maiden name). But according to my Frisian
father the nickname (noemnaam) for Trijntje is Nienke - not sure why, but I know another Frisian Nienke who's real name is also Trijntje. I think it is quite possible that Trijntje comes from Catharina and then became Nienke."
So, there we have it! She's right about Trijntje coming from Catharina - it would be pronounced more-or-less like train-ke - and, I think, confirms my suspicion.
All the best
1