- JLU spelling
- pikni
What “Pickney” means
Pickney means child or children. Add dem to make it clearly plural: "di pickney dem" (the children). It can mean any child or someone's own child, whatever their age.
Examples
Di pickney a bawl
The child is crying.
Di pickney dem a fly kite
The children are flying kites.
A who fah pickney dat?
Whose child is that?
How to use it
An everyday word used by everyone. It's neutral and often affectionate.
Where it comes from
Likely from the Portuguese-derived pequeno or pequenino ("small"), which travelled through older trade and plantation speech.