"Piccaninny" Pronounce,Meaning And Examples

"Piccaninny" Meaning

A term of endearment, often used to refer to a child, especially a black child, in a derisive or condescending manner. It was originally a columbian dialect term meaning "small negro". However, its use can be considered derogatory and is now mostly used in a historical or cultural context to highlight the racist aspects of language.

"Piccaninny" Examples

Definition: A small, often one-dimensional or feeble person, typically in an intimidating or aggressive context. A young child.#

Usage Examples

1. Informal usage darauf argues she was bullied by people who thought her kid was a "piccaninny" ("Documents reveal police failings in death of four-year-old whose face was fractured in 18 places as she waited for an ambulance", The Guardian, 2012) dieser kind's knowed her a pick-an-ninny (Songs and Ballads of the Southern Appalachians by Benjamin Russell Shreve, 1919)###

2. Usage in literary context The contemptuous look she shot at Polly and her pickaninny baby. Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas, 1845) Its victims were mostly pickaninnies crossed out when not chased by after; or they were women who were teased, abused, or looked down upon. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Reign of Napoleon (1818)#### 3. Obsolete usageThis term is considered archaic and generally used for non-professional purposes, like historical study.Please keep in mind that due to the term's negative connotations, context of origin, and historical usage, most sources advise against its common use in aggressive contexts as toward entire racial or ethnic groups. The pejorative, mocking connotation is reflective of harmful social, cultural and partially oppressive practices that include, suffice it to say, racial stereotypes.(Source:OED, Etymology, The Cambridge History of the English Language, Random House Dictionary)#### DateTimeLast reviewed: 5/11/2022