Little finger
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The little finger, often called the pinky in American English (from the Dutch word pink, meaning little finger), is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger. It is also called the fifth finger, the baby finger, digitus minimus, digitus quintus, or digitus V in anatomy, or the fourth finger colloquially.
[edit] Muscles
There are five muscles that control the little finger:
- Abductor minimi digiti muscle (hand)
- Flexor brevis minimi digiti muscle (hand)
- Opponens digiti minimi muscle
- Extensor digiti minimi muscle
- Palmaris brevis muscle
The first three of these make up the hypothenar eminence.
[edit] Cultural significance
A pinky promise (also known as a pinky swear) is made when a person wraps one of their pinky fingers around the other person's pinky and makes a promise. Traditionally, it's considered binding, and the idea was originally that the person who breaks the promise must cut off their pinky finger. In a similar vein, among members of the Japanese yakuza (gangsters), the penalty for various offenses is removal of parts of the little finger (known as yubitsume).
Also in Japan, holding up a pinky while speaking of two people signifies that they are in a relationship.
In China, if one holds up a little finger at another, it is usually considered vulgar, just as holding up a middle finger in the United States and other countries is generally regarded as offensive.
In India, holding up the pinky is a signal that the person has to urinate.
In India, holding up the little finger is also a signal of "katti" or a broken friendship, a sign that someone is angry, or a playful suggestion that the person flashing the pinky is not going to speak to you
Similarly, in Indonesia, when a man points his pinky finger downward it is a signal that he needs to urinate.
In Turkey, it's tradition to link pinky fingers when two people are making a bet.
In Judaism, it is customary to extend one's arm and pinky finger to the Torah as it is lifted following its reading in the Synagogue.
The Iron Ring is a symbolic ring worn by some Canadian engineers. The Ring is a symbol of both pride and humility for the engineering profession, and is always worn on the little finger of the dominant hand. (A similar ritual is performed in the United States called the Order of the Engineer).
In the Balkans, a solitary long fingernail on the pinky finger of a man signifies that he is single.
The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority holds their pinky finger in the air as a (Greek) greeting to their fellow sisters.
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