[Ania]

I am trying to work out which peoples would have nicknames. I know that hobbits do, eg. Merry and Pippen.

But do people think that elves would? The Rohirrim? Gondorians? I've read many fics where elves have nicknames, the most believeable (to me) are those which are different perhaps names from when they are children. Aragorn was Estel in Rivendell, but do you think that elves would shorten their names?

For instance, would a little Arwen called Elrohir 'Rohir'?

[Alassante]

Personally - and I hope I don't offend anyone by saying this - but I dislike it when people do that. Its very common I know and it probably doesn't bother most people but to me, when you shorten their name it takes away some of the meaning of their name. If they had multiple names (like Silm elves do) then I have picked one of the shorter ones to use as a nickname but I can't imagine someone calling Glorfindel - Glo - in a story. But thats just MY opinion which is worth about....1 cent at the most.

[Viv]

Lots of elves had nicknames, but they weren't abbreviations. For instance, Idril was called "Celebrindal," apparently because she lolled around barefoot a lot (my kind of gal), and Finrod gained the name "Felagund" after his building initiative.

I wouldn't call Elrohir "rohir," though. Maybe "horseboy" or something related to either his given name, his interests/accomplishments, or his fate.

[Viv]

[Haleth]

I think...I could be wrong...that many of the Rohirric names were based on Anglo Saxon names from before the Norman invasion.

Elves had nicknames. Maedhros was Russandol which roughly translates to Rusty. All of the sons of Feanor had nicknames which were shorter forms of their father names: Nelyo, Kano, Turko, Moryo, I can't remember Curufin's (sorry, Al) Pityo and Telyo.

I can't really see anyone but the immediate family actually using any of these nicknames, at least not more than once.

[lissaselves]

[Alassante]

[Alassante]

I'm pretty sure that Legolas was called Leggy in Mirkwood. And Galadriel was Gladdy.

Oh! And we forgot the best one. (this one is real too lol) Celeborn is Telelporno. I think I made Do spew her water when I posted that one in an RPG. She thought I was kidding.

[Viv]

[NeumeIndil]

*chimes in on Rohirrim*

From what I've been able to track down, Anglo Saxon used a similar naming situation to that of the elves: they'd get a first name within a few weeks/months of birth (usually after someone like a grandfather or uncle) and their father's name with "-son" or "-dottir" tacked on the end for a surname, as in "Grima son of Galmod" = Grima Galmodson. But, they also had a habit of nicknaming someone after a trait or event in their life, a la Celebrindal (which I'm SO stealing the next time I need a screen name *looks down at bare feet*). So it would be highly possible for my Gamling Garethson to be nicknamed "chatterbox" or "tiny".

That said, though, there's a difference in my mind between a true nickname and a shortened form of the given name. My given name is Rebecca. I go by Becky, but I answer to Becca or just Beck, as well as Boo, Sis, Fred, Friday and Tiger. Becky, Becca and Beck are shortened forms of my given name, and are most commonly used except in official situations like court hearings. Boo and the rest are nicknames. Humans tend to be lazy in our speech, and with that in mind I've used shortened forms of names in fics before, but I won't use a nickname unless it's laid down in canon.

[NeumeIndil]

[Haleth]

[Viv]

[Haleth]

Oh. Sorry. It's Cuervo and it's a brand of tequlia.

Come to think of it, that would explain an awful lot...

[lissaselves]