A Note on Cape Breton Nicknames

Abstract

Nicknames are a neglected part of the Canadian vernacular tradition and have received little systematic study. The following discussion reports partial evidence collected by the author in the course of a broader study in the social history of industrial Cape Breton. Although the nickname is often regarded as a rural tradition associated with Gaelic speakers, the findings indicate that the nickname persisted as a part of the oral tradition in the industrial community. Nicknames continued to be drawn from established sources, but the tradition also incorporated references to the conditions and experiences of industrial life among the coal miners . In various cases the nickname offered a compact, often humorous, commentary on the larger social and cultural life of the community. In this way the nickname functioned as a colloquial form of social expression, emphasizing shared values and local identities. For students of language and history the evidence from industrial Cape Breton suggests that there is scope for a more systematic approach to the study of nicknames as a part of the Canadian vernacular tradition.