--- In conlang@yahoogroups.com, John Cowan <jcowan@R...> wrote:
> James Landau scripsit:
>
> > OK, I admit I have never heard of Dennis the Little before. (BTW,
is "Dennis
> > the Little" an official nickname (kind of like the nicknames
assigned to the
> > kings and queens, e.g. Charles the Fat), or is this translation of
his name
> > basically a joke?)
>
> Well, his name was Dionysius Exiguus, or Dennis the
Short/Slim/Little. We
> presume that was a nickname rather than something inherited.
It could also refer to traits other than physical traits. He could
have been called "Exiguus" because he was prone to only writing short
tracts or had his hair cropped unusually short.
But "Dennis the Short" sounds better in Sunday supplements.