View Message

This is a reply within a larger thread: view the whole thread

[Opinions] Re: Lovely Twinset
Why is Kathleen like "little Katherine"?
Archived Thread - replies disabled
vote up1

Replies

Kathleen : Katherine
Maureen : Mary
Eileen : EveMy irish grandmother once explained to me that names such as the above were used casually as diminutives of the more formal name in Ireland. Now this may be family based or county based or generationally based, I don't know. I'm not saying that the exact meanings are "Little this or that" but I do know that they have been used that way in the past.BTW my grammie was a Kathleen (Kay), daughter of Katherine and her cousin Mary Eileen (Sis) was daughter of Aoife Maureen.
So I know it was a tradition in her family at least.....then again. I feel as if I have had this re-iterated by other people... IDK anymore! :-)

This message was edited 2/14/2011, 8:53 PM

vote up1