First attested in Samuel Rowland's 1600The Letting of Humours Blood in the Head-Vaine as "a Bowe-bell Cockney", fromMiddle Englishcokenay(“aspoiledchild; amilksop, aneffeminateman”), used in the 16th c. by English country folk as a term of disparagement for city dwellers, of uncertain etymology. Possibly fromMiddle Englishcokeney(“asmall,misshapenegg”), fromcoken(“cocks'”) +ey(“egg”) or from Cockney andCocknay, variants ofCockaigne, a mythical land of luxury (first attested in 1305) eventually used as a humorous epithet ofLondon. Comparecocker(“tospoil achild”).
Cockney (notcomparable)
- (UK) From theEast End ofLondon, orLondongenerally.
- Of or relating to people from this area or their speech style.
Cockney (pluralCockneys)
- (UK slang) AnyLondoner.
- (UK) ALondoner born withinearshot of the city'sBow Bells, or(now generically) anyworking-classLondoner.
1617,Fynes Moryson,An Itinerary:Londoners, and all within the sound of Bow Bell, are in reproach calledCockneys.
1848 November –1850 December,William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 26, inThe History of Pendennis. […], volume(please specify |volume=I or II), London:Bradbury and Evans, […], published1849–1850,→OCLC:“Charming place, ma’am,” said he, bowing to the widow; “noble prospect—delightful to usCocknies, who seldom see anything but Pall Mall.”
2000 December 18,BBC andBafta Tribute toMichael Caine,16:43-17:05:Parkinson: You made films before, but the part that really made your name wasZulu, wasn't it[…] and there of course—againsttype—you played thetoff, 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 likeCockney guy had played thistoffee-nosedgit.
Cockney
- Thedialect oraccent of suchLondoners.
