The Pinkie is Not Pink, So Why is it Called That?
As an English teacher, I love looking up the etymology of words. That is, on days when I have enough snap to be able to spell the word “etymology.” Sometimes a word just pops into my head and I wonder how the subject of that word invited that meaning. Like the word “pinkie.” Why the heck do we call our little fingers “pinkies”? People’s faces may turn pink if so inclined, but generally not their hands, so what gives?
It turns out that the word “pinkie” is derived from the Dutch word “pinkje”, which means little finger. So there.
It’s better when the word turns out to have a really bizarre origin, because then that gives me something interesting to tell my students.
Photo: Shannon M
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