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Glite Dictionary
pickaninny

pickaninny

2 9.9
A very offensive word for Black children
  • noun
  • /ˌpɪkəˈnɪni/
  • Slur
: [insulto racista para niño negro]
  • Oh, look at that little pickaninny.

Examples

  • Get out of here, you little pickaninny.

    Crooklyn (1994)

  • What's this, a pickaninny parade?

    Race (2016)

  • Was she hugging a pickaninny?

    Australia (2008)

  • Listen you little pickaninny.

    Crooklyn (1994)

  • You see these children with their T-shirts on, with their heads looking like pickaninnies?

    Fiction book (1994)

  • He referred to the children as pickaninnies, not realizing how offensive that term was.

  • The old storybook contained illustrations of pickaninnies that are now considered racist.

  • Using the word pickaninny in conversation can lead to serious repercussions due to its derogatory nature.

Surface Forms

pickaninny singular
pickaninnies plural

Etymology

Pickaninny likely comes from words meaning 'small', such as Portuguese pequenino ('very small') or a West African word like pikinin ('small child'), and was used in the Caribbean to refer to a little child. Over time it was used in a cruel, racist way to describe Black children, so today pickaninny is a very offensive racial slur and should not be used.