pidgin en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- pĭjʹən (US)
- /ˈpɪ.d͡ʒən/ (US)
- /ˈpɪ.d͡ʒɪn/ (UK)
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”)
Meanings
-
(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. The speech is slow and supported by mime and gesture.
‘I didnʼt know you can speak pidgin,’ he said and laughed.
2019, Chigozie Obioma, An Orchestra of Minorities, Abacus (2019), page 79:
-
(archaic, countable, idiomatic, uncountable) A person's business, occupation, work, or trade (also spelt as pigeon).
Forget money. That's my pidgin.
1950, Robert A. Heinlein, The Man Who Sold the Moon:It's up to the detective sergeant to ask his own questions, that's not my pidgin. But I did wonder if either of you gentlemen had an idea of the exact time of the shot.
2015, Guy Cullingford, Post Mortem:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pidgins | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
pidginise · Chinese pidgin English · Pijin · Port Jackson Pidgin · prepidgin · NSW Pidgin English · Tok Pisin · Queensland Pidgin English · pidginist · pidginogenic · pidginization · pidginize · New South Wales Pidgin English · expanded pidgin · Melanesian Pidgin English · pidginisation · West African Pidgin Portuguese
Relateds
creole · pidgin English · Creole
Synonyms
Translations (47)
ru пи́джин (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · th พิดจิน (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · tr pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · sw pijini (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · mi reo kōrapurapu (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · pis pijin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · it pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · nb pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · nds-de Pidgin-Spraak (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · ca pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · de Pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · tpi pisin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · cy pijin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · fr pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · cmn 混雜語言 /混杂语言 (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · ja ピジン言語 (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · sv pidginspråk (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · nds-de Pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · pt pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · vi pít-gin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · da pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · pl pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · hy փիջին (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · fr créole (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · chr ᏈᏥᏂ (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · fi pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · es pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · eo piĝino (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · sv pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · fr langue véhiculaire (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · nn pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · bg пи́джин (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · nn pidginspråk (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · nb pidginspråk (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · my ပစ်ဂျင် (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · de Pidgin-Sprache (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · bi pijin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · de Pidginsprache (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · pl pidżin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · pl pidżyn (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · cmn 皮欽語 /皮钦语 (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · ga nasctheanga (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · mi kōrapurapu (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · da pidginsprog (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · nds-de Pidginspraak (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · mk пиџин (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers) · ta பிட்யின் (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers)