hypocorism

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Hypocoristic

[edit] English

Late Latin hypocorisma, a loan from Ancient Greek noun ὑποκόρισμα (hypokórisma) from the verb ὑποκορίζομαι (hypokorízomai), “‘to talk in a childish manner’”). The Ancient Greek verb ὑποκορίζομαι (hypokorízomai) is compounded from ὑπό (hypo-), “‘under, beneath, secretly’”) + κορίζομαι (korízomai), “‘to caress’”). In the verb you can see the word κόρος (kóros), “‘boy’”) or κόρη (kórē), “‘girl’”).

Singular
hypocorism

hypocorism (plural hypocorisms)

A term of endearment; a pet name.
- 2003, Mark Steven Morton, The Lover's Tongue^[1]:
  
  Cabbage, however, has enjoyed unlikely success as a hypocorism, a usage that dates back to the mid nineteenth century; this usage arose as a direct translation of chou, which French lovers had been calling each other for a long time: "Oh, mon petit chou"—"Oh, my little cabbage."

hypocorism

hypocoristic