The pinky is the smallest finger in the human hand. It has an important role in giving shape to our hands even with its tiny size. It is true that not all small fingers of people are colored pink but why do we call the smallest finger in our hand the pinky?
This is a term that has been used for many years already that we can't exactly pinpoint where or from whom it started. We can answer the question, why the small finger is called a pinky by looking at its etymology.
1. The first answer to the question why is your small finger called a pinky could be because it was derived from a Scottish term. According to a dictionary made in 1808 by the writer named John Jamieson, the term pinky originated in Scotland where it was a word used by the old folks to refer to anything that is small in size. The term was later adapted by the Americans to call the smallest finger in our hand as the pinky. This is the logical explanation why we have come to call it the pinky.
2. The second answer to the question why is your small finger called a pinky could be because it was originally a word used by the Dutch. The Scots actually got this term from them. The Dutch used the terms "pinck ooghen, " to refer to an eye that is not totally closed. If you translate these terms literally it would mean "pink eye". They also used it to refer to the smallest finger. This was the Dutch word that proliferated throughout Europe. It is not because the Dutch have fingers that are colored pink.
3. The third answer to the question why is your small finger called a pinky is because according to the dictionary from Oxford, it originated from an adjective that was used centuries ago to refer to something that is tiny in size. This was an adjective used widely to pertain to the smallest finger. It does not have any connection to the pink hue.
4. The fourth answer to the question why is your small finger called a pinky is because of the Americans who lived in the eighteenth century. They were the people who used it widely. The pinky swear even originated from that term since Americans during that time started using it as a symbol of staying true to a promise made.
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