How Do You Spell PICKANINNIES?

Pronunciation: [pˈɪkɐnˌɪnɪz] (IPA)

The word "Pickaninnies" is a dated and derogatory term used to describe African American children. It is often spelled with two "n" characters in the middle, "Pickanninies", which is not correct. The correct spelling is with only one "n" in the middle, "Pickaninnies". This spelling can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) transcription. The "a" sound in "Pick" is represented by the symbol /ɪ/ and the "i" sound in "ninnies" is represented by the symbol /ɪ/ as well.

Common Misspellings for PICKANINNIES

• oickaninnies
• lickaninnies
• -ickaninnies
• 0ickaninnies
• puckaninnies
• pjckaninnies
• pkckaninnies
• pockaninnies
• p9ckaninnies
• p8ckaninnies
• pixkaninnies
• pivkaninnies
• pifkaninnies
• pidkaninnies
• picjaninnies
• picmaninnies
• piclaninnies
• picoaninnies
• picianinnies
• pickzninnies

Etymology of PICKANINNIES

The word "pickaninnies" is generally considered to be an offensive and derogatory term used historically to refer to African-American children. The etymology of this term is debated, but it likely originated in the Southern United States during the 19th century.

There are several theories about the origin of the word. One possibility is that it comes from the Portuguese word "pequenino", meaning "little one" or "child". Portuguese explorers and traders had extensive contact with Africa during the Age of Discovery, and the term could have been borrowed from their interactions with African cultures.

Another theory suggests that it is derived from the word "pickaninny" used in various West African languages, such as the Igbo word "nini" meaning "small" or "tiny". The word might have been brought to America through the slave trade and survived as a derogatory term.