pikinini

See also: piknini

Bislama

Etymology

From English pickaninny. Cognate with Pijin and Tok Pisin pikinini and Australian Kriol biginini. Compare also Bajan and Jamaican Creole pickney.

Noun

pikinini

1. child, infant, minor (young person)

   Synonym: smolwan

   Pikinini ia i no save lisenim tok.

   This child doesn't listen.

2. baby, infant, toddler (very young person)

   Synonym: bebi

   Pikinini i krae tumas.

   The baby is crying a lot.

3. (of people) child, offspring (one's son or daughter)

   Hyponyms: boe (male), gel (female)

   Mi gat tri pikinini.

   I have three children.

4. (of animals) offspring, young

   pikinini blong buluk ― calf (literally, “baby cow”)

   pikinini blong dog ― puppy (literally, “baby dog”)

   Pikinini blong faol hem bon finis.

   The chick has hatched.

   (literally, “The baby of the chicken is already born.”)

5. (of plants) sucker, shoot (emerging stem)

   Synonym: gru

   Pikinini blong banana i kam antap.

   The banana sucker is coming up.

6. (slang) child's play (something particularly incomparable or minor)

   Sapos yu kasem sik blong fis, yu harem soa blong hem, tut i soa, pikinini ia!

   If you get ciguatera, the pain of a toothache is child's play [in comparison]!

7. (figurative) addict, regular consumer

   Man ia hem i pikinini blong kava.

   That guy is a kava addict.

   (literally, “child of kava”)

Derived terms

• givim pikinini (“to impregnate, to make pregnant”)
• pikinini blong buluk (“calf (baby cow)”)
• pikinini blong dog (“puppy (baby dog)”)
• pikinini blong hos (“foal (baby horse)”)
• pikinini blong kenu (“outrigger canoe”)
• pikinini blong mases (“(inidividual) matchstick”)
• pikinini blong moskito (“mosquito larvae, wriggler”)
• pikinini blong puskat (“kitten”)
• pikinini blong rod (“illegitimate child”)
• pikinini blong spia (prong of spear or arrow)
• pikinini blong wil (“inner tube”)

References

• Crowley, Terry (2003), “pikinini”, in A New Bislama Dictionary, 2nd edition, Suva, Fiji: Institute of Pacific Studies, →ISBN, page 205

Pijin

Alternative forms

• pikinin

Etymology

From English pickaninny. Cognate with Bislama and Tok Pisin pikinini and Australian Kriol biginini. Compare also Bajan and Jamaican Creole pickney.

Noun

pikinini

1. child, infant, minor (young person)

   Pikinini ia no save herem.

   This child does not obey.

2. baby, infant, toddler (very young person)

   Synonym: bebi

   Pikinini hem krae nao.

   The baby is crying now.

3. (of people) child, offspring (one's son or daughter)

   Hyponyms: boe (male), gele (female)

   Hem garem faev pikinini.

   S/he has five children.

4. (of animals) offspring, young

   pikinini blong kokorako ― chick (literally, “baby chicken”)

   pikinini blong puskat ― kitten (literally, “baby cat”)

   Pikinini blong dog hem smol tumas.

   The puppy is very small.

   (literally, “baby dog”)

5. (of plants) sucker, shoot (emerging stem)

   Pikinini blong taro hem gro gudfala.

   The taro sucker is growing well.

6. (of plants) root (supporting part)

   Hyponym: rut

   Pikinini blong tri hem go daon long graon.

   The roots of the tree go down into the ground.

Adjective

pikinini

1. young (in the early part of life or growth)

   Pikinini sista blong mi no save go long gaden.

   My young sister does not work in the garden.

Derived terms

• givim pikinini (“to make pregnant”)
• pikinini blong kanu (“outrigger canoe”)
• pikinini blong rod (“illegitimate child”)
• pikinini boe (“son, young boy”)
• pikinini dog (“puppy (baby dog)”)
• pikinini gele (“daughter, young girl”)

References

• Jourdan, Christine with Maebiru, Ellen (2002), “pikinini”, in Pijin: A trilingual cultural dictionary (Pacific Linguistics; 526), Canberra, ACT: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University, →ISBN, page 170

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English pickaninny. Cognate with Bislama and Pijin pikinini and Australian Kriol biginini. Compare also Bajan and Jamaican Creole pickney.

Noun

pikinini

1. child

Derived terms

• bilum bilong pikinini (“uterus”)
• pikinini bilong kaikai (“seed”)
• piksa nogut bilong ol pikinini (“child pornography”)
• ples bilong kamapim pikinini (“uterus”)
• rot bilong karim pikinini (“vulva”)