noun pl. cockneys
- a person born in the East End of London, England, traditionally one born within the sound of “Bow Bells” (i.e., the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow) and speaking a characteristic dialect
- this dialect, characterized by extreme diphthongization, loss of the initial (h) sound, and use of an intrusive (r)
- loosely any person born or living in London: a humorous or disparaging usage
Origin:
ME cokenei, spoiled child, milksop; understood as coken-ey, lit., cock's egg < coken (OE cocena, gen. pl.), of cocks + ey (OE æg), egg; ? infl. by Fr acoquiné, idle, spoiled (< coquin, rascal)
adjective
of or like cockneys or their dialect