1. relating to or being a pet name or term of endearment
Usage: linguistics; formal

1. a pet name or term of endearment, especially a shortened or altered form of a proper name
Usage: linguistics; formal

Examples

• The hypocoristic form ‘Bobby’ derives from the name Robert.
• Many languages have hypocoristic suffixes that create affectionate nicknames.
• Parents often use hypocoristic terms when speaking to their children.
• ‘Kitty’ is a hypocoristic for Katherine.
• The linguist studied hypocoristic patterns across different cultures.
• Hypocoristic forms like ‘doggy’ and ‘kitty’ are common in child-directed speech.