Pinkie

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɪŋki/

Definitions

1. A diminutive digit located on the outer edge of the hand that is opposite the thumb
2. the fifth and smallest finger on a human hand commonly called the little finger
3. The smallest finger positioned at the outermost side of the human hand opposite the thumb

Etymology: The little finger is called "pinkie" in English, and the word traces to Dutch. Dutch "pinkje" means "little finger", a diminutive of "pink", a word used in the Dutch of Holland for the smallest finger, where the form "pinkie" also appears in local dialect. English borrowed the term in this sense, so the familiar word for the smallest digit is a Dutch import rather than a native English one. Some sources also connect the English word to Kaurna, the language of the Adelaide Plains in South Australia, where a word "bingu" is recorded. The link is offered as a possible additional source, and the Dutch route is the one that accounts for the English form.

Synonyms: little finger, baby finger