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Help[Opinions] Marguerite, nickname Margot (but she's not French)
Does the nickname Margot for Marguerite work outside of Francophone places, or is it "trying too hard?"
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This message was edited 4/22/2024, 7:48 AM
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It doesn't even work in francophone places anymore.
Margot may come from Marguerite, but is an independent name now and used as such. To me it feels like naming her Mary and using Molly as a nickname. Unnecessary and confusing, even though it does have a history.
Why not just use Margot? It works. My favorite spelling is Margaux.
Margot may come from Marguerite, but is an independent name now and used as such. To me it feels like naming her Mary and using Molly as a nickname. Unnecessary and confusing, even though it does have a history.
Why not just use Margot? It works. My favorite spelling is Margaux.
This message was edited 4/23/2024, 2:02 PM
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I've refrained from specifying in the OP and to other responses, but for some personal reasons Margot as a legal name is unusable for me, even though I enjoy it. (Long story short: somebody I don't get along with.) That's why I was looking for a workaround. :-P
I've tried to get on the Margaux bandwagon, but it just... sorry, it's trying too hard to be cool. Yes, it's a real place, I know, but it's a bit much.
I've tried to get on the Margaux bandwagon, but it just... sorry, it's trying too hard to be cool. Yes, it's a real place, I know, but it's a bit much.
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I did not know about this connection. It’s not intuitive to me, so no.
I have been pondering what nickname to use for Marguerite as it’s one of my favorite names, but I haven’t found a satisfying answer yet.
I have been pondering what nickname to use for Marguerite as it’s one of my favorite names, but I haven’t found a satisfying answer yet.
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Yeah, I don't see why not.
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Why not? It's a standard nic, like Elize for Elizabeth. But since they're both used as independent names, I'd be inclined to just use Margot. It hasn't got the spelling and pronunciation issues that Marguerite has. I knew an English-speaking Margot who must be in her 80s by now; I also got chatting to a little girl at a sports meeting once: she was Afrikaans, and told me that her name was Margot. She pronounced it, and so did her parents of course, maR XHOT, where XH is the throat-clearing sound. But she was actually always called Margotjie, which sounds like mar XHOI key.
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I would argue Margot does have the spelling and pronunciation issues. For one, Margo and Margueax are both also popular. For two, Margot looks like it should have a T sound on the end. I pronounced it that way up until Margot Robbie appeared.
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Does it happen in Francophone places? I don't even know, but it seems like Matilda "Maud" or Sarah "Sally" would to me...someone could do it, but I think of them as separate names.
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I say it still works. The association is there. And historically it was the traditional nickname for Marguerite. For example, Marguerite de Valois, first wife of Henri IV lived in the late 16th century and early 17th and was actually nicknamed Margot by her relatives and inner circle. Even to this day, she is mostly known as ''Queen Margot'' in France.
That beind said, it's true that a lot of people nowadays name their child simply ''Margot''. I guess it happens in all languages, when nicknames become stand-alone names over time.
That beind said, it's true that a lot of people nowadays name their child simply ''Margot''. I guess it happens in all languages, when nicknames become stand-alone names over time.
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Sure, it works! I adore Marguerite.
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I think it works but it also feels really deliberate and not natural. I might be biased because I don't like either name.
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I would just use Marguerite, I hate Margot, too close to maggot
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They're both very pretty names, and Margot is pretty familiar to most people; I know two of them.
But in the US, Margot is nearly always a stand-alone name, so while Margot for Marguerite is logical for French speakers, it does seem a bit like trying too hard here. It naturally kind of raises the question "If you were going to call her Margot anyhow, why not skip the messy middle step and just name her Margot?" Same deal with Elizabeth and Lisa, or William and Liam.
But in the US, Margot is nearly always a stand-alone name, so while Margot for Marguerite is logical for French speakers, it does seem a bit like trying too hard here. It naturally kind of raises the question "If you were going to call her Margot anyhow, why not skip the messy middle step and just name her Margot?" Same deal with Elizabeth and Lisa, or William and Liam.
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