little’un
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "little’un" is a natural contraction of "little one." It’s often used for the youngest child, or anything small and dear.
Pronunciation
[LIT-uhl-uhn]
Meaning & Usage
- A small child or baby (noun)
Aunt May:
The little’un fell asleep in my lap.
The little’un fell asleep in my lap.
Grandma:
Leave him be - he looks peaceful.
Leave him be - he looks peaceful.- Anything small (noun)
Bill:
I caught a rabbit, but it’s just a little’un.
I caught a rabbit, but it’s just a little’un.
Joe:
We’ll let it go and wait for a bigger one.
We’ll let it go and wait for a bigger one.other spellings: little one, littleun, little ’un, young’un, small, child, and baby
★ "Little’un" and "big’un" almost always show up together - easy ways to tell siblings or sizes apart. ★
Origin
From the phrase "little one." In mountain and Southern speech, "one" often softened into "’un," creating everyday forms like "little’un," "big’un," and "young’un."
Notes
Still common across Appalachia and the rural South. Most often used by parents and grandparents when talking about children, but it can apply to animals and objects too.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said quick and soft: "litt-luhn." The "one" shortens to "’un," just like in "big’un."