Jeannie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feminine first name, a diminutive of Jean ; a informal nickname for a genie, a spirit granting wishes in folklore
2. A girl's given name that is a pet form of Jean ; slang for a genie, the wish-granting spirit of fairy tales
3. Used as a female personal name, a shortened form of Jean ; an informal term for a magical spirit that grants wishes

Etymology: Jeannie is a diminutive of Jean, and the chain of suffixes behind it is longer than the word itself looks. The "-ie" ending traces back through Middle English "-y" and Old English "-iġ" to a Proto-Germanic "-j-" and "-ij-" sound, a small affectionate marker that English speakers have long attached to names and nouns to signal familiarity or smallness. Jean itself is the French form of John, so Jeannie is, in effect, a pet form of a pet form. Because the ending is a common suffix rather than a single coined element, the word follows the same path as many other English diminutives such as Johnnie or Annie. Its meaning is simply that of a familiar, affectionate version of the name Jean, used as a personal name rather than as a common noun.