pikinini

Pacific Pidgin English: *pikinini.

The ultimate origin is with Portuguese ‘pequeninho’; it came to to Pacific Pidgin English from earlier pidgins (‘Atlantic Pidgin’ etc).

Bislama: pikinini; Pijin: pikinini; TSC: piknini.

See original Mihalic entry.

Noun forms

  1. Kind of person: a baby, a child, son, daughter, niece, nephew, descendant, adopted child, familiar term of address for any younger person
    pikinini man a son
    pikinini meri a daughter
    no gat pikinini to be childless
    ol pikinini children
    pikinini, helpim mi apim bek! child, help me lift up this bag!

  1. Fauna: the offspring of animals
    pikinini bulmakau a calf
    pikinini dok a puppy
    pikinini hos a foal
    pikinini pato a duckling
    pikinini paul a chick
    pikinini pik a piglet
    pikinini pis a minnow
    pikinini pukpuk a baby crocodile
    pikinini pusi a kitten

  1. Tree crops and fruits: seed, fruit
    pikinini bilong diwai the fruit, seed, nut of a tree
    pikinini bilong galip the Tahitian chestnut
    pikinini bilong kapiak the breadfruit
    pikinini bilong laulau / aiai the Malay apple
    pikinini bilong mango the mango
    pikinini bilong marita marita pandanus fruit
    pikinini bilong mon the New Guinea walnut
    pikinini bilong rais rice kernels
    pikinini bilong sayor vegetable seeds
    pikinini bilong yambo the guava

  1. Kind of person: ‘child of’, figuratively
    pikinini gol a person whose upbringing was paid for by alluvial gold

  1. Kind of person: ‘puppet of’, figuratively ® manki
    pikinini bilong kiap ‘[a candidate for the Bougainville regional seat] was unsuitable as having become ‘pikinini bilong kiap’ (‘a child of the Administration’)’ Griffin (1982: 133)

Verb phrase forms

  1. Physiology: karim pikinini to give birth
    meri i stap long namba nain mun na klostu karim pikinini the woman is in the ninth month and will give birth soon
    no save karim pikinini to be barren, unable to have children

  1. Tree crops and fruits: karim pikinini to bear fruit
    karauka i save karim pikinini long Desemba karuka pandanus nuts are ready in December

© Revising the Mihalic Project, 26 Jan 2005 [Home]