We all have a first and last name, or personal and family name. But for many of us, it doesn’t stop there. We also have nicknames, (25)_______ mostly come from our real name.
Some of them are obvious. Tom is short for Thomas; Sam is short for Samuel. However, there are some nicknames whose origins are more mysterious.
Take the name William (26)_______ an example. It can be shortened to Will, and also Bill. But how does Bill come from William? During the Middle Ages, people like to change letters to make names easier to pronounce. For example, a hard consonant (辅音) like B is clearer than soft ones like W. Bill sounds much clearer than Will. Interestingly, the people of England even called King William III, (27)_______ ruled in the 17th century, “King Billy”.
Richard (28)_______(be) a popular name in England for centuries, too. It was commonly shortened to Rich and Rick to save time. Also like the name William, people liked to make rhyming names. So Rick became Dick. This nickname became so popular (29)_______ it is included in an idiom. “Every Tom, Dick or Harry” means everybody!
The (30)_______(popular) name for English kings has been Henry. England has had eight king Henrys. Yet most of them (31)_______(prefer) to be called Harry by the people. It is a tradition still held. British Prince Harry’s real name is Henry. I wonder (32)_______ Harry Potter’s real name is Henry?