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pickaninny
or ±è¾±³¦Â·²¹Â·²Ô¾±²Ô·²Ô²â, ±è¾±³¦Â·³¦²¹Â·²Ô¾±²Ô·²Ô²â
[ pik-uh-nin-ee ]
noun
Older Use: Now Offensive.
plural pickaninnies.
- a term used to refer to a Black child.
pickaninny
/ ËŒ±èɪ°ìəˈ²Ôɪ²Ôɪ /
noun
- a variant spelling (esp US) of piccaninny
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Sensitive Note
Pickaninny is a dated term, originally used in a neutral or even affectionate way in the West Indies, but now perceived as insulting.
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˜yÐÄvlog History and Origins
Origin of pickaninny1
First recorded in 1645–55; probably ultimately from Portuguese pequenino, diminutive of pequeno “smallâ€; as a word for “small child,†pickaninny and its variants are widespread in English-based creoles of the New World and West Africa; compare Jamaican English pickney, West African English pickin “small childâ€
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