Fitz
Posted by Beckie on April 04, 1998 at 01:37:40:
In response to Nicknames, written by Caroline on March 23, 1998 at 14:26:15
] In the book, Lizzy is called "Lizzy" by her family and (once, I think by Charlotte) and she is called "Eliza" by people who know her well, like the Lucases, her aunts, and by Miss Bingley when she is feeling condescending.Everyone else calls her "Miss Elizabeth Bennet" or "Miss Bennet" , including Darcy, right up until after they are engaged, when he calls her "Elizabeth" in private.
] "Lizzy" and "Eliza" are not really nicknames but diminutives , with a childish association, only used by those who knew her as a child (and by Miss Bingley to indicate her superiority!)
] Mr Darcy is never called anything but "Mr Darcy" or "Darcy". No-one calls him Fitzwilliam, or any variation of it.
] It is perfectly possible that some people might call him "Fitz"- old school friends, perhaps, or childhood friends.Some fan-fic writer's like the idea, some do not, and as far as this board is concerned, we do not interfere with our fan-fic writer's imaginings unless they ask us to. If you were to really push me, I'd say that I don't think anyone would have called him "Fitz"- not his mother, his friends, and especially not Lizzy, but that's my opinion only!
]
] The prefix "Fitz-" literally means "Son of" and it is sometimes associated with being the descendant of an aristocrat, but that's not a hard and fast rule, and you can read too much into it, I think.
] As to it being a name for a hero, well, some writers have found a "Fitzwilliam" surname that they think Jane Austen might have borrowed for her hero. But my guess is that if it turns up in other novels, it's because of Mr Darcy!>>>>>>>
This could be wrong, but I heard somewhere that Fitz- means "bastard son of." Hmmmmm....
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