Pickney
/ PIK-nee /Quick answer: Pickney (pronounced PIK-nee) is the Jamaican word for a child or children.
What does Pickney mean?
Pickney means child or children. It is one of the most common words in Jamaican Patois and is used for sons, daughters, students and any young person. Add dem to make it clearly plural: di pickney dem (the children).
Where does Pickney come from?
It is widely traced to the Portuguese pequeno or pequenino (small, little one), which passed into Caribbean and West African creoles. The old English form ‘piccaninny’ is now considered offensive, but pickney in Jamaica is a normal, affectionate everyday word.
How to use Pickney
Jamaicans also say bwoy-pickney (son), gyal-pickney (daughter) and wash belly for the youngest child. Telling an adult they are acting like a pickney means they are being childish.
| Jamaican Patois | English |
|---|---|
| Tek di pickney dem a school. | Take the children to school. |
| She have tree pickney. | She has three children. |
| Stop gwaan like pickney! | Stop acting like a child! |
Other spellings
Because Patois is mostly spoken, spellings vary. You may also see: pikni, pickeney, pickaninny (old).
Related Patois words
Bwoy-pickney · Gyal-pickney · Wash belly · Yute
Frequently asked
Is pickney offensive?
No. In Jamaica it is a normal word for a child. The old English word ‘piccaninny’ is offensive, but pickney is not.
How do you say ‘my children’ in Patois?
Mi pickney dem.
Look up more words in the Jamaican Patois Dictionary, or see Pickney in the dictionary.