Little finger

Pinky finger, or little finger, also known as the fifth digit or just pinky, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, and next to the ring finger.

Etymology

The word "pinky" is derived from the Dutch word pink, meaning "little finger". In some places "pinky" is also a traditional name for the smallest (youngest) child in a family (especially, when father and mother have 3 children).

Muscles

There are nine muscles that control the fifth digit: Three in the hypothenar eminence, two extrinsic flexors, two extrinsic extensors, and two more intrinsic muscles:

• Hypothenar eminence:
  • Opponens digiti minimi muscle
  • Abductor minimi digiti muscle (adduction from third palmar interossei)
  • Flexor digiti minimi brevis (the "longus" is absent in most humans)
• Two extrinsic flexors:
  • Flexor digitorum superficialis
  • Flexor digitorum profundus
• Two extrinsic extensors:
  • Extensor digiti minimi muscle
  • Extensor digitorum
• Two intrinsic hand muscles:
  • Fourth lumbrical muscle
  • Third Palmar interosseous muscle

Note: the dorsal interossei of the hand muscles do not have an attachment to the fifth digit

Cultural significance

Gestures

A pinky swear

Among American children, a "pinky swear" or "pinky promise" is made when a person wraps one of their pinky fingers around another person's pinky and makes a promise.^[1] Traditionally, it is 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).^[2] Raising a pinky finger can be used as an insulting gesture to imply that a man has a small penis.^[3]

Rings

The Iron Ring is a symbolic ring worn by most Canadian engineers. The Ring is a symbol of both pride and humility for the engineering profession, and is always worn on the pinky of the dominant hand. In the United States the Engineer's Ring is a stainless steel ring worn on the fifth finger of the working hand by engineers that belong to the Order of the Engineer and have accepted the Obligation of an Engineer.

In the United Kingdom the signet ring is traditionally worn on the little finger of a gentleman's left hand. In recent years this has relaxed with men and women wearing them on various different fingers; little fingers still tend to be dominant however.

References

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pinky.

• Fifth metacarpal bone - the bone in the hand proximal to the little finger
• Pinky ring
• Pinky swear - a type of oath involving the little finger
• Yubitsume - a Japanese ritual of apology by amputation of the little finger
• Red string of fate - a Japanese belief that soulmates are bound by a string attached to the little finger

Look up little finger in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.