An informal term of address for a young man or boy, often used by older people in a familiar or condescending way.
Diminutive of 'son,' with the '-y' suffix adding affection or familiarity. Emerged in American English in the early 19th century as a casual way to address young males.
While 'sonny' can express genuine affection, it often carries undertones of age-based authority or mild condescension, making it a linguistically complex term that can both include and distance. The word reflects generational relationships and the ways language encodes social hierarchies.
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