Unnumbered source etymology
Original entry ↗name
Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventoryA diminutive of the male given name William. · A diminutive of the male given name Bilal. · A surname. · A nickname for the British constabulary. Often called "The Bill" or "Old Bill"
Hypocorism of William. It is unclear how the initial W became a B; this could have been part of the medieval trend of swapping letters, similar to Dick for Rick.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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"A diminutive of the male given name William.",
"A diminutive of the male given name Bilal.",
"A surname.",
"A nickname for the British constabulary. Often called \"The Bill\" or \"Old Bill\""
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