Origins Of The Word 'pikin' - Culture - Nairaland
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| Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by ezeagu(m): 7:11pm On Dec 04, 2008 |
Pequeno (Portuguese for 'small') > Pickaninny (used for black children in slavery) > Pickney (children in Jamaican patois by salves) >freed slaves come to Sierra Leone becoming the Sierra Leone Creole people> Pikin (Sierra Leone) > ='Krio' brought to Lagos by ex slaves= Nigerian word for child, Pikin, is used. |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by Kweenisha: 8:10pm On Dec 04, 2008 |
I thought it came from "prick" no that would be prikin |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by Hauwa1: 9:34pm On Dec 04, 2008 |
 you this lady osisi you fit kill person with laugh. prick as in blockus as in abuna prickin lol the thing wey prick brought is prikin hehehehe |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by lucabrasi(m): 2:24am On Dec 05, 2008 |
@poster slight correction,not everyone calls their child or children pikin in nigeria in fact its commonly used in local pidgin english and no middle class to upper class family will ever call their child/children pikin |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by SeanT21(f): 7:14am On Dec 05, 2008 |
Pikin is used mostly in Liberia. If You do not know a Childs Name,Just call him PIKIN. "Hey Pikin,come here" |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by OgidiBoy(m): 7:18am On Dec 05, 2008 |
SeanT21: It's amazing we share some words with our friends in Liberia, do you have anymore you could think off ? |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by Jarus(m): 8:56am On Dec 05, 2008 |
OgidiBoy:Pikin is just like any other pidgin word used across English Speaking West Africa. Or do you think it's only in Naija that Pidgin is spoken? So like pikin, almost all other pidgin words are spoken in Liberia,Ghana and S/Leone. |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by kiwi992(m): 7:16pm On Dec 05, 2008 |
Hi, So like pikin, almost all other pidgin words are spoken in Liberia, Ghana and S/Leone. Ghanaians can not speak pidgeon English. Not the ones that have lived in Nigeria but those of them in their own country or abroad. You should hear them speak it, you'll fall off your seat laughing! kiwi992. |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by bawomolo(m): 8:24pm On Dec 05, 2008 |
kiwi992: they probably think the same way about us too. this is like american and british people arguing about who speaks the best english |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by SeanT21(f): 11:06pm On Dec 05, 2008 |
OgidiBoy: Many west african nations have alot of things in common. FUFU,Kous Kous,and more!! |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by mukina2: 12:31am On Dec 06, 2008 |
Pikin is the main term used for kids in Freetown  even when they know ur name, then end up calling you pikin |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by MrCrackles(m): 12:32am On Dec 06, 2008 |
mukina2: |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by Pataki: 2:33am On Dec 06, 2008 |
*Hauwa*:Can you please explain, I do not understand.  |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by mohawkchic(f): 12:33pm On Dec 06, 2008 |
kiwi992: ~Lol,so true,even tho they do use their own terms,like "Charlie" i understand what they're saying but when i try to talk my Sa.Lone pidgin,they don't understand except for the few words they are familiar w/ - i find that strange b/c i understand Nigeria,Ghana & Camaroon pidgin & apart from the Ghanians,the Nigerians & Camaroonians understand mine!! |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by kiwi992(m): 5:40pm On Dec 07, 2008 |
Hi Mohawk, Yeap. Very good observation on your part. Even if they do know your name, you get called 'Charlie' all of the time. Saying such things as 'me plus am' (he and I), 'a for talk am sey' (I'd have told him), 'the gbenye' (the girl) 'o jalo' (o jare) kiwi992. |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by mohawkchic(f): 6:30pm On Dec 09, 2008 |
kiwi992: ~hey Kiwi992  ~The differnce in Lingo & how we say certain words meaning the same thing in the various Pidgin among Africans is in itself Unique!! Niaja Pidgin Sa.Lone Pidgin ~Babe ~Gial ~Ar day Chop ~Ar Day Eat ~E Now Say ~E talk Say ~You Day Mad ~You day Crase ~ How Now? ~Wetin day Happen ~You come day hala say ~Wetin you day hala say ~Make ar yarn you ~make ar boss you ~Enter house ~Go Insai ~Carry Him for House ~Ker ram go insai d ous ~Winch ~Witchman ~Abi ~No to so Disclaimer ~ Y'll might not say your pidgin in the way i've written,but i go w/ what i hear on Niaja Movies & read on here |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by jonsn: 11:56am On Dec 13, 2008 |
[color=#990000][/color]@mohawkchic You know you could come up with your own pidgen dictionary and who kows, it could sell like mad.  |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by mohawkchic(f): 2:32am On Dec 14, 2008 |
jonsn: [color=#550000]~ You think!! I'll remember to send you the first published copy!!  |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by Nobody: 12:18pm On Dec 15, 2008 |
probably a variant of pickaninny - which was the word used to refer to slave babies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickanniny what do u know - i'm prolly right Pickaninny (also picaninny or piccaninny) is a term – generally considered derogatory – that in English usage refers to black children, or a caricature of them which is widely considered racist. It is a pidgin word form, which may be derived from the Portuguese pequenino (an affectionate term derived from pequeno ("little"  .Contents In the Southern United States, pickaninny was long used to refer to the children of African slaves or (later) of African American citizens. While this use of the term was popularized in reference to the character of Topsy in the 1852 book Uncle Tom's Cabin, the term was used as early as 1831 in an anti-slavery tract "The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave, related by herself" published in Edinburgh, Scotland. The term was still in some popular use in the US as late as the 1960s; while it has largely fallen out of use and is now considered offensive, the term is still part of the American lexicon. Although the term was used generally, it came to refer to the associated stereotype among white Americans of African American children. "Picaninnies had bulging eyes, unkempt hair, red lips and wide mouths into which they stuffed huge slices of watermelon."[1] The Picaninny was distinguished by its young age, male or female. "They were also half dressed and animalistic. The picaninny was seen as one of a multitude of black children – disregarded and disposable."[2] That the pickaninny was often naked or half-naked has been interpreted by some to imply that black parents neglected the well-being of their children. |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by Nobody: 1:05pm On Feb 24, 2009 |
bawomolo: Which kind yeye English the Americans dey speak? Even the deaf can here that the Americans can't speak English to save their lives. |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by Bencilo(m): 1:53pm On Feb 24, 2009 |
| u seen 2 b envious 2 d american.Der language no better past our own. |
| Re: Origins Of The Word 'pikin' by Nobody: 1:56pm On Feb 24, 2009 |
Bencilo: Thank you for the information. Well done. |
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