Pig Latin
/ˈpɪɡ ˈlætɪn/noun
A playful language game that alters English words by moving their initial sound or consonant cluster to the end and adding a suffix such as “-ay.”
Did you know?Pig Latin is not descended from Latin at all; its name likely echoes older expressions such as “Dog Latin” and “Hog Latin,” which mocked distorted or pseudo-scholarly speech.
Etymological Timeline
14th Century
Middle English
pigge
“A young pig; the source of modern English “pig,” though its deeper origin is uncertain.”
Classical Antiquity
Latin
Latīnus
“Latin; relating to Latium, the region associated with Rome.”
17th–18th Century
English
Dog Latin
“A humorous term for bad, makeshift, or pseudo-Latin.”
19th Century
American English
Hog Latin
“A playful distorted form of speech, an earlier name associated with the later language game.”
Late 19th Century
English
Pig Latin
“The established name for a word game that disguises English through sound rearrangement.”
Modern English
English
Pig Latin
“A children’s and informal secret-language game used for amusement or concealment.”