The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 19.0102  Friday, 15 February 2008

From:		Abigail Quart <
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Date:		Thursday, 14 Feb 2008 21:19:34 -0500
Subject: 19.0096 Harry, Hal, Henry
Comment:	RE: SHK 19.0096 Harry, Hal, Henry

Harry Berger Jr wrote:

 ><quite a lot>, but failed to mention that "Harry" is simply the English
 >form of the French name "Henry", and apparently derives from the English
 >*pronunciation* of the latter. ("Hal" is simply a pet-form of "Harry".)
 >
 >John Briggs

But it isn't "simply." I was Abby every day of my life until I entered 
college, when a jeer from an upperclassman made me decide that Abigail 
was my name. Only family and the closest of friends were allowed "Abby." 
I outgrew that, too, and will now answer to anything spoken with 
affection . . . but it was a major and conscious decision that was very 
much part of the struggle to become an adult, accepting an adult name as 
mine.  Since I doubt my own uniqueness in that area, I have to interpret 
Harry's abandonment of "Hal" as a specific decision related to his 
assumption of the crown and adult responsibilities. It's not "simply." 
It's a deliberate declaration.

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