beatnik
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
Coined by San Francisco columnist Herb Caen in 1958.[1] From beat (generation) + cutesy or ironic use of the Slavic suffix -nik (Russian: -ник). This suffix experienced a surge in English coinages for nicknames and diminutives after the 1957 Soviet launch of the Sputnik satellite. Compare jazznik.
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /ˈbiːtnɪk/
[edit] Noun
beatnik (plural beatniks)
- A person associated with the Beat Generation of the 1950s and 1960s or its style.
[edit] Quotations
- For examples of the usage of this term see the citations page.
[edit] See also
- Baghdad by the Bay (also coined by Herb Caen)
- hepcat
- hippie, hippy
- jazznik
[edit] Translations
beatnik
[edit] References
- ^ Herb Caen, "WORDS, WORDS, WORDS", April 2, 1958
