Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

Since DCH loves Marcion-based posts here is another. It has been established since Hilgenfeld that Marcion is a diminutive form of Mark and the German scholar provides other examples from Patristic literature of the use of diminutives for important figures. But notice also that the pattern is evidenced in ancient cultures that like that preserved among the Irish:

The Irish used the diminutive of the names of saints as a mark of affection. The diminutive was formed by the termination an, en, or in, or by adding the adjective oc or og, little. Thus Aozlh, diminutive Aodhan, or aodh, og, Sen, Senan, or Senog. https://books.google.com/books?id=bXxaA ... og&f=false

The Irish used the diminutive of the names of saints as a mark of affection, and prefixed mo, my, as an expression of devotion; as we still say Our Lord, Our Lady. The diminutive was formed by the termination an or in, or by adding the adjective ore or ng. little. Thus, Beo, diminutive Beo-an, or Beo-occ, and preBxing mo, Mobeocc, " my Beocc," or "my Utile Beo." Ami/), diminutive Aodhan, Mo-aodh-an -an, and Mo-aodh-oo, "my little Aodli," shortened into St. Mogue; Sen, diminutive Senan, or Sen -Off, Moshenog, " my little Sen" etc https://books.google.com/books?id=6DQFA ... 22&f=false

In rural Catholic Mexico too:

The formal concept of sanctity has been a part of daily life in Mexico since the Spanish conquest, while many rituals such as certain types of faith healing and votive offerings demonstrate the influence of indigenous and African beliefs and devotional practices upon Christianity. There are countless words, concepts,and aphorisms that refer to or draw upon sanctity in Mexican Spanish, demonstrating the extent to which the sacred permeates dailylife in Mexico and the borderlands.8 Some of these words, like santito (a diminutive form of saint) .. unmoor the concept of sanctity from its official, hierarchical definitions to reflect playful, disparaging, and intimate attitudes toward saints https://books.google.com/books?id=-tcyA ... 22&f=false

I am not so sure about the author's conclusions but the use of the diminutive form to denote affection for the saint is widely attested and very ancient.

In Portuguese:

whether this is an image of Christ, or of the Virgin, or the image or remains of a canonized person, the term 'saint' is always used in connection with it, often in an affectionate diminutive form : the little saint' or 'our little saint'; and it is often referred to with real tenderness: 'our little St Benedict! ... Ah! Jesus." https://books.google.com/books?id=KSY4A ... 22&f=false

Irish again:

The name Cillen assumes among our Irish saints the forms of Killen and Caolan, the latter of which, as derived from Caol, " narrow," is stated by Colgan to have been a common appellation, denoting " slenderness of figure;" and no doubt the diminutive form Caolan was used to express affection towards the saint. https://books.google.com/books?id=9AQVA ... 22&f=false

The diminutive form used to address Carmelite nuns in Spanish:

CARMELITA is the diminutive form, meaning “a Carmelite nun”; the diminutive being used to show affection. https://books.google.com/books?id=jiZIA ... nt&f=false

The ritual use of diminutives for the dead in Mexico:

He used the affectionate diminutive form in Spanish, which is a Mexican derivative derived from the honorific form in Nahuatl. https://books.google.com/books?id=SlPKt ... nt&f=false

Interestingly hypocorism comes from the Greek ὑποκορίζεσθαι hypokorizesthai, "to use child-talk"

Apparently the name 'Luke' is a result of hypocorism:

The same is true for Saint Luke, whose name is a new coinage formed with the Greek hypocoristic suffix-άς from the the common Latin praenomen Lucius.

Secret Alias wrote:Apparently the name 'Luke' is a result of hypocorism:

The same is true for Saint Luke, whose name is a new coinage formed with the Greek hypocoristic suffix-άς from the the common Latin praenomen Lucius.

Interesting. Thanks.

The hypocoristic suffix-άς is well established. But there are many examples where ίων is also used as a hypocoristic suffix. The form Ἑρμάνουβιϲ, attested six times (2, 9, 11, 13, 14, 15) in the papyri which simply replicates the god Hermanoubis's name. But more common are the forms Ἑρμανουβᾶϲ (six instances: 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, 20) and Ἑρμανουβίων (four instances: 3, 6, 18, 19). So -ᾶϲ and -ίων were, in fact, the commonest Greek suffixes for personal names based on the Egyptian god Ἄνουβιϲ. It is interesting that in a business letter (3) the two forms Ἑρμανουβίων (l.38) and Ἑρμανουβᾶϲ (l.41) are used interchangeably to designate the same individual. Ἑρμανουβᾶϲ is certainly a hypocoristic of since the suffix -ᾶϲ often served this purpose. But what about Ἑρμανουβίων ?