Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
ecky-becky. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
ecky-becky, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
ecky-becky in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
ecky-becky you have here. The definition of the word
ecky-becky will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
ecky-becky, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Bajan ecky-becky. According to Bajan lore, the word ecky-becky is of African origin and can be traced back to a time before Africans came to Barbados. In one Igbo community in West Africa a French man allegedly named Equé Bequé, or something similar, attempted to settle there and colonize the village, but failed, as he had no money or army. From then on, the Igbo people called any poor Caucasian "Ecky-becky." This word would later be taken by these people to Barbados when they were captured along with other African tribes and brought into slavery.[1]
Pronunciation
Noun
ecky-becky (plural ecky-beckies)
- (Barbados, slang, derogatory) A poor white person. Specifically, a lower-class descendant of the whites who worked the land before the arrival of African slaves.
See also
References
- ^ Oppizi, Alessia (2010) “De Tongue dat Does Buy Yuh Does Sell Yuh: Bajan English proverbs on the Web”, in Oriana Palusci, editor, English, But Not Quite, Tangram, page 135.