Two Calvin and Hobbes cartoons recently — yesterday and today (originally from 4/8 and 4/9/91) — in my comics feed, in which Calvin takes on a title (the epithet the Bold) and adopts illeism (referring to himself in the third person):
(#1)
(#2)
Yes, it’s all about linguistics.
Epithets. In particular, those of the form the + Adj and the + N as extensions of a personal name, especially personal names of rulers and other notable figures: Charles the Bald, William the Conqueror. That’s the pattern that Calvin wants to use for his new name. Calvin the Bold will rule with an iron hand.
There are a number of similar patterns, for example the one in Frank “The Enforcer” Nitti (a Mafia boss) — in which the epithet The Enforcer can stand on its own as a name for Nitti (You’ll have to see The Enforcer), while the Bald is very peculiar as a name for the ruler (??You’ll have to see the Bald).
And there are prenominal epithets as well, as in Fatty Arbuckle.
In fact, English has quite a profusion of epithet patterns, with different syntax and different uses in discourse (distributed in different sociocultural contexts, at different times and places).
I was hoping that someone had systematically mapped out a substantial portion of this onomastic territory, and maybe someone has, but I’ve been unable to find no such discussion available on-line.
Illeism. Another set of usages often associated with grandiosity, though again there’s an assortment of patterns and functions (and sociocultural concomitants). For some discussion, see my Language Log posting of 7/29/07 “Illeism and its relatives”.
I was somewhat surprised that the six-year-old Calvin knew the technical term third person, but then the character is often precociously knowledgeable.
