pinky

The word 'pinky' is a straightforward English formation. Its first element, 'pink', derives from the common name for flowers of the genus Dianthus, noted for their frilled petal edges (a sense preserved in 'pinking shears'). By the late 17th century, 'pink' had become established as the name for the pale red color typical of these flowers. The adjectival suffix '-y', of Germanic origin, is then appended to mean "having the quality of pink." When used as a noun for the smallest finger, 'pinky' is an informal, childlike formation implying the finger is small and often has a pinkish hue, especially when cold or compared to the other digits.

Structure: pink (color) + y (adjective suffix) 'pink' originates from the name of a flower (Dianthus), via Dutch 'pinck' or German 'Pink', and came to denote a pale red color. The suffix '-y' is a native English suffix from Old English '-ig', used to form adjectives meaning "characterized by or full of."