Cockney

See also: cockney

English

Alternative forms

cockney

Etymology

First attested in Samuel Rowland's 1600 The Letting of Humours Blood in the Head-Vaine as "a Bowe-bell Cockney", from Middle English cokenay (“a spoiled child; a milksop, an effeminate man”), used in the 16th c. by English country folk as a term of disparagement for city dwellers, of uncertain etymology. Possibly from Middle English cokeney (“a small, misshapen egg”), from coken (“cocks'”) + ey (“egg”) or from Cockney and Cocknay, variants of Cockaigne, a mythical land of luxury (first attested in 1305) eventually used as a humorous epithet of London. Compare cocker (“to spoil a child”).

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkɒk.ni/
Audio (AU) (file)
Rhymes: -ɒkni

Adjective

Cockney (not comparable)

From the East End of London, or London generally

Noun

Cockney (plural Cockneys)

(UK slang) Any Londoner.
- 1859, J.C. Hotten, A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant and Vulgar Words, 22
  COCKNEY, a native of London. An ancient nickname implying effeminacy, used by the oldest English writers, and derived from the imaginary fool's paradise, or lubberland, Cockaygne.
(UK) A Londoner born within earshot of the city's Bow Bells, or (now generically) any working-class Londoner.
- 1617, Fynes Moryson, An Itinerary
  Londoners, and all within the sound of Bow Bell, are in reproach called Cockneys.
- 1617, John Minsheu, Ductor in Linguas
  A Cockney or Cocksie, applied only to one born within the sound of Bow bell, that is in the City of London.
- 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 26, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, OCLC 2057953:
  “Charming place, ma’am,” said he, bowing to the widow; “noble prospect—delightful to us Cocknies, who seldom see anything but Pall Mall.”
- 2000 December 18, BBC and Bafta Tribute to Michael Caine, 16:43–17:05:
  Parkinson: You made films before, but the part that really made your name was Zulu, wasn't it […] and there of course—against type—you played the toff, you played the officer.
  Caine: I played the officer, yeah, and everybody thought I was like that. Everyone was so shocked when they met me, this like Cockney guy had played this toffee-nosed git.

Proper noun

Cockney

The dialect or accent of such Londoners.

Derived terms

mockney