A Discoursal Study of Nicknames in Arabic with Reference to English

Prof. Dr. Nashwan Mustafa Al-Sa, Asst.; Ati,

	A Discoursal Study of Nicknames in Arabic with Reference to English
Journal of Tikrit University for the Humanities
Article 1, Volume 19, Issue 5, 2012, Pages 603-627
Authors
Asst. Prof. Dr. Nashwan Mustafa Al-Sa;
Abstract
Abstract This research is an attempt to investigate the use of nicknames, mainly, among Mosuli society. Some references, however, are made to the use of nicknames in Iraqi Arabic and the Arab world to clarify some points in question. A nickname is an informal proper name given to someone as an indication of affection, warmth, and friendship. It is an optional term of address, not legally used in official documents, used as a substitute name for a person's real name. Thus, using nicknames provides an insight into social relationship, culture and language. The study hypothesizes that types of nicknames are expressed among Mosuli society. In addition, sex differences are clearly realized in using nicknames among Mosuli people. The study has come up with the fact that there are many types of nicknames such as nicknames that are given according to job ,physical appearance, place name , or nicknames that are derived from the first and last parts of a proper name, or from kunya, honorific, diminutive …etc. To confirm the hypotheses raised, a questionnaire form has been given to 50 male and 50 female students who are at the morning and evening first-year classes at English Dept./College of Arts. The questionnaire involves four questions, shown in an appendix, referring to one's sex, whether one has a nickname and what this nickname is and whether one accepts nicknaming or not with mentioning the reason(s). The questionnaire has reflected that the male students tend to use nicknames that refer to physical appearance, kunya, a place , or to a job. As for female students, they prefer to use diminutive, or dropping a letter. It has also been found that males are more likely to have nicknames than females are. It appeared that (25), i.e. (50%) of male students have nicknames. Moreover (20), i.e. (40%) of male students have accepted to have a nickname for a variety of reasons, viz. it is interesting, it involves family surname, it helps to call one easier, for emotional reasons, for the purpose of someone being distinguished among people, or it points to one's identity among the Iraqi society. On the other hand, other students have preferred to be called by their first real name since, they argue, Islam does not allow using nicknames among people or simply because they like their real names, or for security, or they do not like to be nicknamed at all . As for the female students, the study has shown that (18), i.e. (36%) of female students have a nickname, and (19), i.e. (38%) out of the fifty have accepted having nicknames because it is like a joke among friends, or simply it may be nice to have a nickname.

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