‖kleintjie, noun

/ˈkleɪŋki//ˈkleɪŋci/
Forms:
kleinkie, kleintjeShow more Also kleinkie, kleintje, and (formerly) Englished form clynie.
Origin:
Afrikaans, South African Dutch, DutchShow more Afrikaans, earlier South African Dutch, from Dutch kleintje.
colloquial
1. A small child; any small creature or object.
1797 Lady A. Barnard Lett. to Henry Dundas (1973) 94While the partners ate and drank heartily, the Clynies, viz. the Moye Kinders — (pretty little children..) were busy in their way.
1910 D. Fairbridge That Which Hath Been (1913) 48Oh, he was but a kleintje when he was last here, and a very tiresome one at that.
1913 D. Fairbridge Piet of Italy 63Once, when I was a kleintje, there came a Frenchman to the Paarl.
1917 S.T. Plaatje Native Life 83Good morning, Auta Gert, how is Mietje and the Kleintjes (little ones)?
1942 S. Cloete Hill of Doves 279Do not take the kleinkies. The little ones must be allowed to grow.
2. As a term of endearment: ‘little one’.
1905 P. Gibbon Vrouw Grobelaar 170‘No,’ he cried, bending to her lips. ‘No! It is a true charm that, my kleintje.’
1911 P. Gibbon Margaret Harding 143Marry me, my kleintje, and you shall be nobody’s fool.
1913 D. Fairbridge Piet of Italy 8‘What is it then, my kleintje?’ she cried, clutching the brown baby to her breast.
1963 R. Gedye in C.M. Booysen Tales of S. Afr. 159‘What was she saying? Pa, what’s happened to Jan?’ ‘He’s in trouble, kleintjie.’
1987 M. Poland Train to Doringbult 140Talk to me kleintjie. Tell me what else you’ve been doing. Why haven’t you been playing tennis and why haven’t you been eating?
A small child; any small creature or object.
‘little one’.
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17971987

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colloquial
kleinhuisie, nounn.kleurling, nounn.
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