Pinoy

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For other uses, see Pinoy (disambiguation).

Pinoy is a demonym used by Filipinos for their compatriots in the Philippines and around the world. Filipinos usually refer to themselves informally as Pinoy (feminine: Pinay), which is formed by taking the last four letters of the word 'Pilipino' and adding the diminutive suffix -y. The word was coined by expatriate Filipino Americans during the 1920s and was later adopted by Filipinos in the Philippines.

Pinoy is a term of endearment and is rarely used in formal settings. The term is akin to that of a nickname which is used by close family members and friends so that one who uses it somehow already developed some close ties with Filipinos.

The term especially gained popular currency in the late 1970s in the Philippines when a surge in patriotism made a hit song of Filipino folksinger Heber Bartolome's "Tayo'y mga Pinoy" (We are Filipinos), and later with famous Filipino band Bamboo's "Noy-pi" (Pinoy in reversed syllables).

The term Pinoy can also be seen as a racial slur towards those of the filipino culture by those who are not. It is sometimes seen to be just as offensive as the term "Nigger" for African-Americans and the term "Chink" for those of Chinese decent. The offensive use of this term is primarily spoken in the San Fransisco Bay Area, generally because of the large Filipino and Asian population in the area.

In internet slang, Pinoy is used as an abbriviation for the longer word Filipino. Pinoy is sometimes abbriviated further such as Pnoy or Piny.