Jackeen

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Jackeen is a mildly pejorative term for someone from Dublin, Ireland. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "A contemptuous designation for a self-assertive worthless fellow," citing the earliest documented use from the year 1840.[1]

Derivation and meaning

The term is derived from a nickname for John (i.e. Jack) from the Union Jack (As Dubliners were considered the most English of all the Irish) combined with the Irish diminutive suffix "-een" (meaning little) [1] (-ín in Irish) found in many Irish female names such as Roisín ("little Rose") and Maureen (Mairín, "little Mary"). Today, Jackeen is often used to describe Dublin GAA players and supporters.[2][3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Simpson, John; Weiner, Edmund (1989). "Oxford English Dictionary, second edition". Oxford: Clarendon Press. Irish dim. of JACK n.: A contemptuous designation for a self-assertive worthless fellow.
  2. ↑ "The Jacks are back". Retrieved 2007-01-25.
  3. ↑ "Reeling in the years". Retrieved 2007-01-25.
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