Hungarian Nicknames - Match the Nickname to the Full Name

[@tamasjambor8668]

I'm pretty sure the Hungarian -ka/-ke ending would be called a diminutive. Like Petra and Emma said, usually the reason for nicknames isn't actually to shorten the original name, but to make it more affectionate or casual, less formal-sounding. My guess as to how Vica comes from Éva is that it's several layers deep: Éva -> Évi -> Évica -> Vica. Also, I'm not sure if Ilona being our version of Luna is actually true, most sources I could find said it came from Helena.

[@RyanCT203]

Yes, I think you're right, there must have been some evolution of the name to arrive at the final version Vica. I always thought it was funny, that in Spanish the nickname for Jose is "Pepe", but at some point I realized that the name used to actually be Josepe and then got shortened to the modern version. I think maybe I saw that "Pepe' is also the nickname in Italian for Giuseppe, which they still use and then I put two and two together.

[@Dekken88]

An interesting choice would have been "Gabi" as its a nickname often used both for "Gábor" and "Gabriella".

[@brummatejbeezmeghajthaver]

I believe Böbe came from Bözsi, another popular nickname of Elisabeth. It is worth to mention.

[@aronlukacs6911]

Ilona is actually Helen/Helena/Elena but even Helena can be linked to Luna I guess.

[@millenniumman75]

Gáspár is interesting; I have seen a similar name in India for some reason - as if there is a Gypsy connection or something. My father ("Johan") was born in Austria to Hungarian parents (János and Lidia). I have seen my father use Jáncsi as a diminutive of János (John), but then I have introduced myself as János to Hungarians as I learn the language, and I have been called Jáni as well. I was born in the United States as John (IV) - so my name has traveled three languages in the four generations.

[@Andras_Orvos]

Gypsies are from India, but mostly from Pakistan.

[@milanszekelyhidi905]

Hi! In Hungari, we use, CI or CSI after the nick names. Like, Judit -> Juci, Teréz > Tercsi, but Teréz -> Teca also. But Rita -> Rituci.

[@sanddio]

I am Hungarian and I think Dini absolutely can be the nickname of Diána too.

[@AverageHungaryan]

Döner

[@RyanCT203]

Not really a comment about nicknames, but I was always confused why the Hungarian name Sandor would translate to "Alex" in English. Eventually, I realized that in Hungarian the "Alex" bit got chopped off Alexander and now its Sandor. Unless, maybe Sandor is more of a translation of Xander? I don't know, lol...

[@GergelyTari]

Maybe shortened from the Italian version Alessandro

[@GaborSzabo747]

It's from Greek, Alexandros.

[@bindair_dundat]

I'm hungarian and I didn't know all of them.

[@gergelylazar6647]

Vica can be both Éva and Viktória. My grandma had a sister who was called Vica, her full name was Viktória.

[@nickyalexen]

Or Viola

[@Andras_Orvos]

Some scientists says Ilona comes from Greek Helen.

[@attilabuda9791]

And doesn't mean the Moon, but the Sun from the Greek word "helios"

[@harczymarczy]

Ilona is actually the most common Hungarian version of Helena/Helene/Elena etc. Pista became into existence by means of gemination: István -> +Ista -> +Ista-Pista -> Pista, also István -> Isti -> Isti-Pisti -> Pisti (+ before a name means that the variant has already died out) The same applies to Panna and Panka: Anna -> Anna-Panna -> Panna, then Pan- (truncating) & -ka (diminutive) = Panka. For Böbe, I can only rely on my own guess: Erzsébet -> Erzs- & -i -> Örzse/Örzsi -> +Örzse-Börzse/+Örzsi-Börzsi -> +Börzse/+Börzsi -> Bözse/Bözsi, then -> Böbe/Böbi (reduplication of the b and substitution of the zs). See also Bözse/Bözsi -> Bözs- -> Bös- (truncating and devoicing) & -ke (diminutive) = Böske. Many Hungarian nicknames like Pál -> Pal- & -i = Pali or Péter -> Pet- & -i = Peti are derived from the truncated and shortened form of the original name: Dénes (aka Dennis) -> +Dén- -> Den-/Din- & -i = Deni/Dini or Ilona -> I- & -ca -> Ica -> Ic- (truncated again) & -u = Icu. Jóska: József -> Józs- (truncated) -> Jós- (devoicing) & -ka (diminutive); it was actually formed the like "Böske", possibly involving the form Józsi (Józs- (truncating) & -i) & -ka = Józsika as well. For Gazsi: Gáspár -> +Gás- (truncating) -> +Gas- (shortening) -> Gazs- (voicing) & -i is likely, but Gáspi (Gáspár -> Gásp- (truncating) & -i also exists. As one can see, -i is a common suffix for nicknames but -ca, -u, -ó, -kó and -a are also present, along with -us, -ci, -csi, with different degrees of productivity. Örzse seems to be an exception but the final -e can actually be regarded as a shortened -é- after having dropped -bet. As in Gáspár -> Gazs-, Már- becomes Mar-, Pét- becomes Pet-, Pál becomes Pal- and so on. Even the beginning(!!!) of an already existing nickname can be omitted: Anna -> Ann- & -us = Annus, then Annus -> -nus & -i = Nusi. Or Erzsébet -> Erzs & -i = Erzsi, then -zsi & -ke = Zsike (rare but still exists) or even -zsi -> Zsizsi (reduplication) or maybe ?Zsizsi -> Zsibi (perhaps by taking the -b- from the original name). István can also become Pista -> Pi- & -tyu = Pityu -> -tyu -> Tyutyu. Also Etelka -> Et- & -us = Etus, then -tus + -i = Tusi or Emília -> Em- & -i = Emi -> -mi -> Mimi or -mi + -ci = Mici. Vica is much like Mici: Éva -> Év & -i = Évi & ca = Évica (rare) -> -vica = Vica. Margit can become -git(t) & -a = Gitta where the -t is also lengthened. There are even weirder cases like Náncsi: Anna -> -na -> Nana (reduplicated, very rare but still exists) -> supposedly Nan- & -csi = Nancsi -> Náncsi or even Valentin -> -tin -> -tin-ti(n), geminated and truncated = Tinti.

[@belescus9853]

Ez mi a kénköves ménkű amit idehánytál?

[@magiteo42]

Szerintem a Vica az Évi, Évica vonalról alakult ki.

[@RyanCT203]

btw, Petra, I looked in the " Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont" book for men and there were two versions of my name, Ryan, and I was just curious which spelling sounds better or more natural to you as a native speaker, Rajan or Rájen? I'm thinking the second one, the first might sound too accented with the short "a"... 🤔

[@Csatadi]

Rajan rather looks like an Indian name. Rájen is how your name is written with Hungarian letters. The Hungarianized spelling won't ring many bells, this name isn't used here in the practice.

[@TheKCsaba]

What about "Babi"?

[@silverlions]

A József/Dodi érdekes lett volna.... Mária/Mariska...