Answers:
According to the report, back in the days of Old and Middle English,
everything was written by hand; "it was therefore common and easier to
use agreed-upon abbreviations." An example of an abbreviation was
"Ric." for "Richard".
The abbreviations led to diminutives, such as "Rick".
Rhyming nicknames were fairly common in the 12th and 13th centuries,
such as "Hick" and "Dick" from "Rick". "Dick and Hick were among the
earliest of the rhyming nicknames, first appearing in writing around
1220. Other rhyming nicknames include Polly from Molly, Bob from Rob
(from Robert), Bill from Will (from William); and Hodge from Roger."
Dick has remained a nickname for Richard. "'Hick' has thankfully
become obsolete, except when tied to 'Dick' in rhymes such as
'Hickory, Dickory, Dock.'"
A web site on the etymology and history of first names in English
agrees that "Bob" is a medieval "rhyming nickname" for Robert. This
site also suggests that the change in the initial consonant from
"Rick" to "Dick" may have been caused by "the way the trilled Norman R
was pronounced by the English."
Probably the same way Jack is short (haha) for John.
By making no sense whatsoever.
"How"?
Interesting indeed.
I don`t know, but they always called my grandpa "Will" and his name was William. I think it is because William=Will=Bill. I think they just shorten the name and then change a letter. But who knows??
uh. yea whatever Jan Stolz said lol
its slang because they rhyme
will=bill
rob=bob
and other sayings like
dogs eye=pie
to hit the frog and toad= hit the road.
noahs ark=shark
its all cause they rhyme stupid really.
:)
As in Chet is short for Chester and Chuck is short for Charles and Joe is short for Joseph and Jake is short for Jacob. Same way Ian is John and so is Juan and so is Jean.
Jno. is an abbreviation for Jonah, Jos. is an abbreviation for Joseph, Wm. is an abbreviation for William, Robt. is an abbreviation for Robert.
I think these all were devised to save space in an assigned area given for writing.
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