Hanny

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feminine given name that is a diminutive of Johanna or Hannah, often used as a nickname for a girl or woman
2. A short familiar form of the names Johanna or Hannah, commonly given to a girl or used as an affectionate name for a woman
3. A personal name used mainly for women, derived as a pet form of Johanna or Hannah and favoured in Dutch and English-speaking families

Etymology: The word is a dialect form of "honey," used as a term of endearment in Scots and northern English, much like "love" or "pet." It reflects the same Old English "hunig" that gave us the sweetener, so the affectionate sense grew from the idea of something sweet and precious. Dialect forms like this are usually older than their first written records, so the exact date of the spelling "hanny" is uncertain. What is clear is that the sound has followed the same path as "honey," with the initial "h" and the vowel shaped by regional speech.