small mississy
Chinese Pidgin English edit
Etymology edit
Calque of Chinese 小老婆 (literally “small wife”), using English small + mississy, the latter itself from English missus + English -sy.
Noun edit
References edit
- Gow, W. S. P. (1924) Gow’s Guide to Shanghai, 1924: A Complete, Concise and Accurate Handbook of the City and District, Especially Compiled for the Use of Tourists and Commercial Visitors to the Far East, Shanghai, page 109: “Waife, waifee: wife or mississy. Number one mississy; Number two mississy, etc., Small mississy: concubine (Lunde).”