hypocorism

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hy·poc·o·rism

(hī-pŏk′ə-rĭz′əm, hī′pə-kôr′ĭz′əm)

1. A name of endearment; a pet name.

2. The use of such names.

[Late Latin hypocorisma, from Greek hupokorisma, from hupokorizesthai, to call by endearing names : hupo-, beneath, secretly; see hypo- + korizesthai, to caress (from koros, boy or korē, girl; see ker- in Indo-European roots).]

hy′po·co·ris′tic (hī′pə-kə-rĭs′tĭk) adj. & n.

hy′po·co·ris′ti·cal·ly adv.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hypocorism

(haɪˈpɒkəˌrɪzəm) or

hypocorisma

1. (Linguistics) a pet name, esp one using a diminutive affix: "Sally" is a hypocorism for "Sarah".

2. (Linguistics) another word for euphemism¹

[C19: from Greek hupokorisma, from hupokorizesthai to use pet names, from hypo- beneath + korizesthai, from korē girl, koros boy]

hypocoristic, hypocoristical adj

ˌhypocoˈristically adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hy•poc•o•rism

(haɪˈpɒk əˌrɪz əm)

n.

1. a pet name.

2. the use of pet names.

3. the use of forms imitative of baby talk.

[1840–50; < Greek hypokórisma pet name. See hypocoristic, -ism]

hypocorism

1. the creation or use of pet names, as Dick for Richard.
2. a pet name.
3. baby talk. — hypocoristic, adj.