sobriquet

English

WOTD – 16 February 2009

Alternative forms

• soubriquet

Etymology

From French sobriquet (“nickname”), from Middle French soubriquet (“a chuck under the chin”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsəʊ.bɹɪ.keɪ/
• (US) enPR: ʹsōbrĭkā, ʹsōbrĭkĕt, IPA^(key): /ˈsoʊ.bɹɪ.keɪ/, /ˈsoʊ.bɹɪ.kɛt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

  ,

  Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪ

Noun

sobriquet (plural sobriquets)

1. A familiar name for a person (typically a shortened version of a person’s given name).

   "The Bard" is a sobriquet of English playwright William Shakespeare.

   • 1862, A. Banning Norton

     The sobriquet of Johnny Appleseed attached to him, though his real name was Chapman, in consequence of his being ever engaged in gathering and planting appleseed and cultivating nurseries of apple trees.

Synonyms

• (familiar name): cognomen, moniker, nickname

Translations

familiar name for a person

• Czech: přezdívka (cs) f
• Dutch: bijnaam (nl)
• Finnish: lempinimi
• French: sobriquet (fr) m, surnom familier m

• German: Beiname (de) m, Spitzname (de) m
• Russian: прозвище (ru) n (prózviš'e), прозвание (ru) n (prozvánije)
• Scottish Gaelic: frith-ainm m
• Spanish: sobrenombre (es) m

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French

Etymology

Origin uncertain.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sɔbʁikɛ/

Noun

sobriquet m (plural sobriquets)

1. nickname