The other day, I was in class with a beginner-level Japanese student. I asked him to name 5 Hispanic names for men or women. Although Japanese names are very different from Hispanic ones, this wasn’t too difficult for him since he worked at a company in Mexico and was familiar with his coworkers’ names. Quickly, my student said: Pepe, Laura, Carla, Jorge, and Chaparrita. I couldn’t help but laugh. He looked at me puzzled and asked, "What’s wrong?" I explained that "Chaparrita" wasn’t a name but a nickname used for people of short stature. The suffix "-ita" makes it a more affectionate way of referring to someone. I also clarified that "Chaparrita" isn’t in the same category as "Pepe." Pepe, Beto, and Mary are nicknames for José, Roberto, and María, whereas "Chaparrita" is an alias. A nickname is a shortened, diminutive, or more endearing form of a name used to express affection. It’s a sort of replacement for the original name...
