Date: Sun, 16 Apr 1995 09:13:11 -0400

From: Heilan Yvette Grimes HEP2[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: Re: Meg/Peg



Margaret--[trunc.]-- Meg-- Peg--[dimin.]-- Peggy



As in



Mary-- Molly-- Polly



There seems to be a tendency for stops to replace nasals (as above) or

liquids

(as in Richard-- Dick, Robert-- Bob) or of course fricatives

(Theodore-- Ted)

in this process of hypocoristicism...



Best, Laurence-- Larry



I can see the sense of the above, but I don't believe it is correct. I

remember reading years ago about either a Princess Margaret or Queen Margaret

whose name was eventually transformed to the shortened Peg. It had nothing to

do with vocal shifts. There was another reason, but I don't remember what it

was. It was a logical reason concerning word derivation rather than vocal

derivation. I know this doesn't give a whole lot of information. But I

remember at the time saying to myself, "Aha, that makes sense." Maybe this

will help jog someone else's memory.



--Yvette