Skip to main content

Birth of a nickname - John McWhorter

434,880 Views

1,315 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Where do nicknames come from? Why are Ellens called Nellie and Edwards Ned? It’s all a big misunderstanding from the early days of the English language, a misunderstanding that even the word nickname itself derives from. John McWhorter tracks the accidental evolution of some familiar diminutives.

WatchThink 5 Multiple Choice &
3 Open Answer Questions Dig Deeper Learn More Discuss 1 Guided Discussion &
1 Open Discussion
If you know that orange in Spanish is naranja and naranj in Arabic, then what can you guess about why the word orange has no n at the beginning?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator John McWhorter
  • Animator Lippy
  • Narrator John McWhorter

More from Playing with Language