Andrés, Andresito and Andy?

Hector Zagal

Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Universidad Panamericana

Doesn't it happen to you that we call our friends, acquaintances, or family members by special names? We all have a friend named "Chicken," an aunt named "Nena" (even if she's 80 years old), and two cousins: "El Flaco" (The Skinny One) and "El Gordo" (The Fat One).

What are nicknames? According to the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE), a nickname is "a name usually given to a person, taken from their physical defects or some other circumstance." In other words, we nickname people by alluding to a physical or character characteristic. The real question is: why do we use nicknames?

"To nickname" comes from the Latin " putare ," which means to calculate, evaluate, or judge. When we nickname, following this root, we point out what we consider distinctive about someone. This label can be offensive or affectionate. Calling someone "Hottie" is not the same as calling someone "Bombón" (Hottie) as calling someone "Brother."

In ancient Rome, it was common to receive a nickname related to a physical characteristic or place of origin. Cicero , for example, comes from the Latin cicer , meaning "chickpea." Apparently, an ancestor of Marcus Tullius Cicero had a wart on his nose that resembled a chickpea. That ancestor probably didn't like the nickname, but Marcus Tullius proudly used it as a cognomen , his family name. And today, telling someone they sound like Cicero is a compliment: they are credited with the eloquence of the great Roman orator.

The Emperor Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus also had a nickname: Caligula , which means "little boots." The soldiers gave him the nickname when he was a child, because he lived in military camps with his father and wore caligae , the typical footwear of legionaries. Seeing him dressed like this, the soldiers smiled and affectionately nicknamed him. Another case in point: the great philosopher Plato was not called that. His real name was Aristocles , but he was nicknamed Plato because he exercised so much that his shoulder blades looked like two large plates.

Nomignolo is an Italian word meaning nickname, appellation, or appellation, usually with a familiar, affectionate, or ironic tone. Thus, Salvatore is called Toto , and Giuseppe is called Beppe . Nomignolo literally means "little name."

And in Spanish? According to the RAE (Royal Spanish Academy), the diminutive is "that which has the quality of diminishing or reducing something to less." In everyday objects, it's used to describe size: the cart, the little cabin, the little guitar. But we also use it with people close to us or acquaintances. The diminutive allows us to name someone with courtesy or familiarity. Sometimes the diminutive can be ironic. If we don't like Rodolfo, we can call him Rodolfito, with a tone of disdain . When we're familiar or in a hurry, we call Santiago Santi . But we Mexicans are masters of the diminutive, which—due to the influence of Nahuatl—often carries a sense of respect. Thus, for example, it was common to refer to the priest as el padrecito ( little father), not in a mocking tone, but quite the opposite.

And what do they call you? According to what my students tell me, I already have a collection.