pikinnengre

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

Compound of pikin (“small”) +‎ nengre (“Negro; person”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pi.cinˈneŋ.re/, /pt͡ʃiŋˈneŋ.re/

Noun

pikinnengre

1. child

   Synonym: pikin

   • 1960, Big Jones And His Kawina Band (lyrics and music), “Ala Pikin Nengre”, in Suriname‎^[2]:

     Ala pikinnengre / te we go na foto / unu mu luku den bon / nanga den strati tu

     All you kids / when we go into town / have a look at the trees / and the streets too

   • 1975, Edgar Cairo, “Wan pisi fu libi [A piece of life]”, in Ursy M. Lichtveld, Jan Voorhoeve, editors, Creole drum. An Anthology of Creole Literature in Surinam‎^[3], New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN, page 256:

     Mi no ben kan tan arki den betiyesi tori fu Basedi, bika na bigisma no ben lobi te pikinnengre mofo e warsi na ini en tori efu den bradi den yesimama e arki.

     I couldn't stay to listen to the ear-catching stories of Master Edi, because the old man didn't like it when children's mouths wandered into his tale if they had stretched their eardrums and were listening in.

Usage notes

In spite of the etymology, the term is used for children of all races and ethnicities. Especially in the Netherlands, some consider the term nevertheless offensive.