Etymologically
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moniker

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈmɒn.ɪ.kə/ (UK); /ˈmɑn.ɪ.kɚ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is probably from Shelta, the language of Irish Travellers,[2][3][4] where mŭnnik “name” is said to be an alteration of Irish ainm (“name”).[3][4][2] Etymonline calls the origin uncertain and also suggests monk, since monks take new names.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

A name or nickname (1851; 1849 in Etymonline, as a tramps' term).[6][3][5]

Semantic evolution

The word is said to have begun as a tramps' term, and is found in the London underworld from 1851 as monekeer.[5] Its origin seemed obscure even in 1857, when a writer asked why moniker meant a name painted on a trunk.[5] It is now a general informal word for a name or nickname.[2][3][4]

Timeline

  • 1849 – a hobo term for a name.[5]
  • 1851 – a name, a nickname.[6][3][5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A name or nickname, especially an informal one or an alias.

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press