释义 |
† ˈpinkeny, ˈpinkany Obs. (exc. dial. in sense 3). Forms: 6 pink nye, pinky ney, pinckeny, -anie, -any, pinkany, 7 pink-aneye, pinken eye. See also pink a.2, pinkie a. [orig. pink nye (pl. nyes, neyne), i.e. pink a.2 small, narrow + nye = ye, eye, with prosthetic n (cf. pigsney). Cf. early mod.Du. pinck ooghen v., pincke n. (Kilian 1599: see pink v.2). Prob. pink nye, pinkie nye, was orig. child's language, fondly imitated by nurses, and so became an expression of endearment.] 1. A small, narrow, blinking, or peering eye; a tiny or dear little eye.
1575Laneham Let. (1871) 17 To see the bear with hiz pink nyez leering after hiz enmiez approch. 1593Rich Greenes Newes D iv, The one of her eyes was bleard..the other was a pretty narrowe pinckeny, looking euer as though she smylde. 1594Lodge Wounds Civ. War (Hunter. Cl.) 54 O most surpassing wine..Thou makest some to stumble, and many mo to fumble: And me haue pinkie nine. 1612N. Field Woman a Weathercock iv. ii. H j, Those Pinkanies of thine, For I shall ne're be blest to call them mine. 2. transf. Applied to a person, usually as a term of endearment: Darling, pet; = pigsney.
1599Nashe Lenten Stuffe 42 The other..was Hero,..she was a pretty pinckany and Venus priest. 1599Porter Angry Wom. Abingd. (Percy Soc.) 68 Mal. Tis I! who I?..A Christ crosse rowe I? Phil. No, sweete pinckanie. 1622Massinger & Dekker Virg. Mart. ii. i. Wks. 1873 IV. 23 That pink-an-eye jack-an-apes boy, her page. 3. pinkeny John, also pinken-eyed John (corr. pink-o'-my-John), a popular name of the pansy or heart's-ease, widely current in the midland counties of England.
1879Prior Brit. Plants s.v. Pansy, Pink of my John. 1886Britten & Holland Eng. Plant-n., Pink-o'-my-John, Viola tricolor... Other forms of the name are Pinken-eyed John..and Pink-eyed John..: also Pinkenny-John. |