Pidgin
/ˈpɪdʒɪn/noun
A grammatically simplified language that develops through contact between speakers of different languages.
Did you know?The leading explanation traces pidgin to 19th-century Chinese Pidgin English, where the English word “business” was pronounced approximately “pidgin,” though the origin remains debated.
Etymological Timeline
18th–19th Century
English
business
“Commercial activity, work, or an affair—one leading proposed source of pidgin.”
19th Century
Chinese Pidgin English
pidgin
“A form associated with business or trade, likely reflecting a Chinese pronunciation of English “business.””
19th Century
English
pidgin
“A contact language used in multilingual trading and colonial settings.”
Late 19th Century
English
pidgin-English
“A simplified English-based contact language, especially in descriptions of China and the Pacific.”
20th Century
English
pidgin
“A language that develops for practical communication among people without a shared native language.”
Modern English
English
pidgin
“A stabilized or developing contact language, distinct from a creole because it traditionally has no native speakers.”