pickaninny

The story

1. Afrikaans · derived frompikenien
2. Portuguese · derived frompequenino“boy, child”
3. English todaypickaninny

Probably from a Portuguese pidgin, from Portuguese pequenino (“boy, child”), noun use of pequenino (“tiny”), from pequeno (“small”). In South African uses probably partly after Afrikaans pikenien.

First known use, by meaning

• from 17th c. A black child.
• from 18th c. Little, small.