pickaninny

or pic·a·nin·ny, pic·ca·nin·ny

[ pik-uh-nin-ee ]

noun

, Older Use: Now Offensive.

, plural pick·a·nin·nies.

1. a term used to refer to a Black child.

pickaninny

/ ˌpɪkəˈnɪnɪ /

noun

1. a variant spelling (esp US) of piccaninny

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pickaninny¹

First recorded in 1645–55; probably ultimately from Portuguese pequenino, diminutive of pequeno “small”; 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 child”