Women, Nicknames, and Blues Singers

Abstract

A nickname may be defined as a name not derivative from, or a diminutive of, a person's given names, but one which is added to, substituted for, or used alternatively with a person's given names.As reviewed elsewhere (Skipper, "Significance of Nicknames"), nicknames are an important and deeply embedded element in American culture, but there has been little systematic research reported in the literature.This is true not only for onomastics, but also for such disciplines as history, sociology, psychology, and so forth.What little research has been done usually focuses on the nicknames of males.With few exceptions, the nicknames of females have almost b.een entirely ignored.The purpose of this report is to review the little we know about the use of nicknames in American society and especially those of women, analyze a set of women's nicknames derived from a study of American Blues singers 1890-1975, present a conceptual orientation by which to better understand the role of women's nicknames in American society, and suggest some avenues for future research.

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