Tiffany Problem - Wikipedia

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2024-10-05 13:00:05

The Tiffany Problem, or Tiffany Effect, refers to the issue where a historical or realistic fact seems anachronistic or unrealistic to modern audiences of historical fiction, despite being accurate. This often occurs with names, terms, or practices that, although historically accurate, feel out of place because of modern associations.[ 1]

Author Nicola Cornick first discussed the Tiffany Effect in 2018 after learning about the phenomenon and encountering the term. She explained that the name Tiffany derives from Theophania, a name for girls in medieval England and France. The old French form c. 1200 was Tifinie, and the spelling Tiffany first appears in English c. 1600.[ 2] However, if a historical fiction writer were to name an English character Tiffany in an European setting c. 1600, the audience would likely perceive it as inaccurate.[ 3] Fellow author Jo Walton coined the term Tiffany Problem in 2019 to refer to this phenomenon.[ 4]

Other than the name Tiffany, the following names have been mistakenly thought to be of modern origin but are actually historical: Shane, which dates back to the 17th century as a masculine name derived from Gaelic; Beverly, which originates from the term "beaver meadow" and has historical usage; Wade, rooted in Early English and popular in the medieval period; and Nicola, historically used as a male name in Italy and borne by notable figures like the 12th-century Nicola de la Haye.[ 2]