and Pickaninny
a little child. The word is certainly not Australian. It comesfrom the West Indies (Cuban piquinini, little, which isfrom the Spanish pequeno, small, and nino,child). The English who came to Australia, having heard theword applied to negro children elsewhere, applied it to thechildren of the aborigines. After a while English peoplethought the word was aboriginal Australian, while theaborigines thought it was correct English. It ispigeon-English.
1696. D'Urfey's `Don Quixote,' pt. iii. c. v. p. 41(Stanford):
«Dear pinkaninny [sic],
If half a guiny
To Love wilt win ye.»
1830. R. Dawson, `Present State of Australia,' p. 12:
«`I tumble down pickaninny here,' he said, meaning that he wasborn there.»
1845. R. Howitt, `Australia,' p. 103:
«Two women, one with a piccaninny at her back.»
1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 520:
«Bilge introduced several old warriors . . . adding always thenumber of piccaninies that each of them had.»
1890. C. Lumholtz, `Among Cannibals,' p. 305:
«We can even trace words which the Europeans have imported fromthe natives of other countries – – for example picaninny,a child. This word is said to have come originally from thenegroes of Africa, through white immigrants. In America thechildren of negroes are called picaninny. When the white mencame to Australia, they applied this name to the children ofthe natives of this continent.»
used as
1848. W. Westgarth, `Australia Felix,' p. 104:
«The hut would be attacked before `piccaninny sun.'»
[Footnote]: «About daylight in the morning.»
1884. J. W. Bull, `Early Life in South Australia,' p. 69:
[An Englishman, speaking to blacks] «would produce from hispocket one of his pistols, and say, `Picaninny gun, plentymore.'»