pidgin

Meaning

1. (countable, uncountable) An amalgamation of two disparate languages, used by two populations having no common language as a lingua franca to communicate with each other, lacking formalized grammar and having a small, utilitarian vocabulary and no native speakers.
2. (archaic, countable, idiomatic, uncountable) A person's business, occupation, work, or trade (also spelt as pigeon).

Synonyms

pidgin language

lingua franca

portmanteau word

pidgin English

hybrid language

Translations

pidgin

Pidgin

Pidgin-Sprache

pidgin

sabir

langue véhiculaire

Kauderwelsch

pidgin

Pidginsprache

créole

رطانة

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈpɪ.d͡ʒɪn/

Etymology

From pidgin English, from a Chinese Pidgin English pronunciation of English business during trade in the Far East. All attestations of pidgin from the first half of the nineteenth century given in the third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary mean “business; an action, occupation, or affair” (the earliest being from 1807). Other suggested derivations include:
* Hebrew פִּדְיוֹן (pidyón, “exchange; trade; redemption”)
* Chinese pronunciation of Portuguese ocupação (“occupation; business”)
* South Seas pronunciation of beach
* Portuguese baixo (“low”)