[Mihalic] Piccaninny dawn

[r.clark at auckland.ac.nz]

"Piccaninny daylight", also "piccaninny dawn, piccaninny sun" as
expressions for the earliest morning, are well attested in Australian
English, going back to the 1840s at least. I assume this is from the
earlier sense of "piccaninny" = "small", and originated in some pidgin
context. However, the only place I can find it in use today is in Torres
Straits Creole, in the relexified form "smol delait" = "dawn, early
morning".
 
Ross Clark

	-----Original Message-----
	From: mihalic-bounces at anu.edu.au
[mailto:mihalic-bounces at anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Institute of Papua New
Guinea Studies
	Sent: Thursday, 16 November 2006 5:25 p.m.
	To: Tok Pisin list
	Subject: [Mihalic] Piccaninny dawn
	
	
	In The Sky People (1984) by John Emery, there are numerous
references to "piccaninny dawn" which I assume means something like the
first light of dawn, before the sun actually appears.
	 
	Is this a version of a normal TP expression? Has anyone heard
"pikinini tulait" or something like that? Or might it be some sort of
Tok Masta?
	 
	
	Don Niles
	Acting Director & Senior Ethnomusicologist
	Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies
	Box 1432
	Boroko 111
	PAPUA NEW GUINEA
	 
	tel.: +675 325-4644
	fax: +675 325-0531
	email: ipngs at global.net.pg


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