The little finger, or pinkie, also known as the baby finger, fifth digit, or pinky finger, is the most ulnar and smallest digit of the human

hand A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each " ...

, and next to the

ring finger The ring finger, third finger, fourth finger, leech finger, or annulary is the fourth digit of the human hand, located between the middle finger and the little finger. Sometimes the term ring finger only refers to the fourth digit of a left-h ...

Etymology

The word "pinkie" is derived from the Dutch word ''pink'', meaning "little finger". The earliest recorded use of the term "pinkie" is from

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

in 1808. The term (sometimes spelled "pinky") is common in

Scottish English Scottish English ( gd, Beurla Albannach) is the set of varieties of the English language spoken in Scotland. The transregional, standardised variety is called Scottish Standard English or Standard Scottish English (SSE). Scottish Standa ...

and

American English American English, sometimes called United States English or U.S. English, is the set of varieties of the English language native to the United States. English is the most widely spoken language in the United States and in most circumstances ...

, and is also used extensively in other Commonwealth countries such as New Zealand, Canada, and Australia.

Nerves and muscles

The little finger is nearly impossible for most people to bend independently (without also bending the ring finger), due to the nerves for each digit being intertwined. There are also 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 The opponens digiti minimi (opponens digiti quinti in older texts) is a muscle in the hand. It is of a triangular form, and placed immediately beneath the palmaris brevis, abductor digiti minimi and flexor digiti minimi brevis. It is one of th ...

** Abductor minimi digiti muscle (

adduction Motion, the process of movement, is described using specific anatomical terms. Motion includes movement of organs, joints, limbs, and specific sections of the body. The terminology used describes this motion according to its direction relati ...

from third palmar interossei) ** Flexor digiti minimi brevis (the "longus" is absent in most humans) * Two extrinsic flexors: **

Flexor digitorum superficialis Flexor digitorum superficialis (''flexor digitorum sublimis'') is an extrinsic flexor muscle of the fingers at the proximal interphalangeal joints. It is in the anterior compartment of the forearm. It is sometimes considered to be the deepest pa ...

Flexor digitorum profundus The flexor digitorum profundus is a muscle in the forearm of humans that flexes the fingers (also known as digits). It is considered an extrinsic hand muscle because it acts on the hand while its muscle belly is located in the forearm. Together ...

* 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

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. Something similar is also seen in China and Korea, where people link their pinky fingers and then stamp their thumbs together to make a ''yaksok'' (promise). Among members of the Japanese ''

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...

'' (gangsters), the penalty for various offenses is removal of parts of the little finger (known as ''

yubitsume or ''otoshimae'' is a Japanese ritual to atone for offenses to another, a way to be punished or to show sincere apology and remorse to another, by means of amputating portions of one's own little finger. In modern times, it is primarily perfor ...

''). It is a common misconception that one should extend their little finger when drinking from a teacup. This practice is generally deprecated by etiquette guides as a sign of snobbery amongst the socially inferior, with various cultural theories as to the origin of the practice including the idea that finger food should be eaten with only the first three digits. The messaging application Teams from Microsoft has an emoji which is a representation of a closed hand with the little finger raised. The description is "Nature's call" which is a polite euphemism used when someone feels a need to urinate or defecate.

Rings

The

signet ring A seal is a device for making an impression in wax, clay, paper, or some other medium, including an embossment on paper, and is also the impression thus made. The original purpose was to authenticate a document, or to prevent interference with ...

is traditionally worn on the little finger of a gentleman's left hand, a practice still common especially in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, Australia, and European cultures. A signet ring is considered part of the regalia of many European monarchies, and also of the Pope, with the ring always worn on the left little finger. In modern times the location of the signet ring has relaxed, with examples worn on various different digits, although little fingers still tend to be the most usual. 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 little finger of the dominant hand. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

, the Engineer's Ring is a stainless steel ring worn on the fifth digit of the working hand by engineers who belong to the Order of the Engineer and have accepted the Obligation of an Engineer.

Utility

The little finger is often used as a support when

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...

users type one-handed. The little finger is positioned underneath the phone, allowing it to be propped with the three middle fingers, and the user to type with their thumb. Some users reported dents on their little finger and pain in the hand after prolonged use in this way, doctors referred to this as "iPhone pinky" or "smartphone pinky". The skin indentations were reported to be nothing of alarm, as they disappeared on their own after a short while without cell phone use.

References

{{Authority control Fingers Human anatomy