Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2015 May 16

= May 16 =

What is this given name relationship called?
This question came up regarding Rollie. It's commonly used for people named Roland or Rolland. So is it a nickname or is there some other term for it? Clarityfiend (talk) 07:02, 16 May 2015 (UTC)
 * It's a nickname, more specifically a diminutive form. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 07:24, 16 May 2015 (UTC)
 * And even more specifically, a hypocorism. --Nicknack009 (talk) 07:35, 16 May 2015 (UTC)
 * All pretty much the same thing. I wonder if Clarie is thinking of something else that we're not quite on the track of. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 07:39, 16 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Clairie, eh? Thanks, Bugsy Wugsy. Clarityfiend (talk) 19:58, 16 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Clarityfiend (talk) 05:28, 19 May 2015 (UTC)
 * A nickname need not be diminutive, such as "The Rock" or "The Desert Fox". StuRat (talk) 14:29, 17 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Yes. That's more of a sobriquet. The first time I ever heard of that word was in reference to Home Run Baker, who hit a fair number of them in the deadball era, but was tagged with that nickname after hitting two decisive blows in the 1911 World Series. His full name was John Franklin Baker, and he went by Frank to friends and family, and that was his diminutive nickname. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 16:23, 17 May 2015 (UTC)
 * A formal tone is required for writing an encyclopedia, and this means not using nicknames, yeah? Does this mean I should change the name of this article to "Roland Eggmaster"? --Shirt58 (talk) 12:54, 18 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Only if you have a valid source for it. ←Baseball Bugs What's up, Doc? carrots→ 16:48, 18 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Shirt, no. Nicknames are fine if they're the most common name a person is known by.  Hence Frank Sinatra, not Francis Sinatra.  Hence Bob Hawke, not Robert Hawke.  And Malcolm Fraser, not John Malcolm Fraser.  --   Jack of Oz   [pleasantries]  22:17, 18 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Er, Rollie Eggmaster isn't a person. Is there a template for failed reference desk humour attempts? This would be a prime candidate. --Shirt58 (talk) 10:35, 21 May 2015 (UTC)

Writing method
How do I write ‘8th century’, like ‘8th century’ or ‘8th-century’?

Which one of these ‘–’ or ‘-’ or ‘—’ should be used while typing/using MS Word?

What/Which is formal?

Mr. Prophet (talk) 18:48, 16 May 2015 (UTC)


 * Just a space is usual except when it's an adjective, then use an ordinary hyphen. See our article: Hyphen.     D b f i r s   19:37, 16 May 2015 (UTC)


 * Use a hyphen only when the expression is attributive. Also the Oxford Manual of Style (and probably other style guides) prefers eighth to 8th, e.g. Beowulf was composed in the eighth century, by an eighth-century poet.--Shantavira|feed me 08:03, 17 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Understood. Thanks friends. -- Mr. Prophet (talk) 20:43, 17 May 2015 (UTC)
 * You would use a ‘–’ for a range. E.g. "8th – 9th century" Iapetus (talk) 13:12, 18 May 2015 (UTC)
 * Acknowledged. Thanks. -- Mr. Prophet (talk) 18:12, 18 May 2015 (UTC)