Banty
In Appalachian and Southern farm life, a banty (or bantam chicken) is a small, often feisty chicken breed. Folks often call them banties or banies, especially in casual speech.
#SouthernWords #Appalachia #Animals #OldTimers #Southern #FarmTalk
My Dad's always called 'em 'banies,' - and you'll hear that term from old timers out in the country. And me. Which means I must be an old timer. Pronunciation
Meaning & Usage
- Bantam chicken (noun)
Don’t mess with them banties, they’ll flog you.I know - Papaw’s banies got me good last summer.Origin
From bantam chicken, a term dating back to 17th-century European trade with Bantam (Banten) in Indonesia. The clipped form banty developed in American rural speech, especially in the South and Appalachia.
Notes
Banty chickens (banies or banties) are a staple of small Southern and Appalachian farms. Their small size and fierce personalities made them easy to keep in a backyard or barn lot. Because they’re so common in the region, "banty" also works as a personality descriptor - someone called a "banty rooster" is usually small but scrappy, bold, or quick-tempered.
- Banty - singular form ("That banty rooster’ll spur you.")
- Banties / Banies - plural forms ("Papaw had twelve banies.")
- Banty rooster - often metaphor for a small but aggressive man.
- Sometimes used as an affectionate nickname for a wiry, energetic person.