What does pidgin mean?
A pidgin is a language that emerges when speakers of different languages need to communicate. It typically has a smaller vocabulary and simpler grammatical structure than the languages from which it draws, making it useful in settings such as trade, migration, travel, and colonial administration. A pidgin is usually learned as an auxiliary language for particular purposes rather than as a community’s first language. Over time, however, it may expand, acquire more complex grammar, and become the native language of a new speech community; at that stage, it is generally called a Creole rather than a pidgin. The word is used across many linguistic and historical contexts, from English-based contact varieties in the Caribbean, Pacific, and West Africa to mixtures involving Chinese, Malay, Portuguese, and other languages. In general discussion, “contact language” can be a more neutral descriptive alternative.
nounA pidgin is a simplified language that develops when speakers of different languages communicate, usually in trade, travel, or colonial settings. Its vocabulary and grammar are generally less complex than those of the languages from which it draws.
- A simplified language formed from elements of different languages for communication between speakers who do not share a common tongue.
- A form of speech characterized by simplified grammar and vocabulary, often developed for trade, travel, or colonial administration.
"The traders developed a pidgin in order to communicate with one another across several language communities."
"Many Caribbean pidgins are now spoken as fully developed community languages."
"The novel presents its characters speaking in a pidgin formed from English and several local languages."
Used when referring to multiple contact languages or distinct varieties of a pidgin.
"The researchers compared several pidgins spoken in the region."
The word “pidgin” is usually traced to the Chinese pronunciation of “business,” reflecting the trade and travel in which many pidgins developed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pidgin come from?
The word entered English in the nineteenth century and is commonly traced to a Chinese pronunciation of the English word “business.” It originally referred to the mixed language used in dealings with Chinese merchants. Its sense later broadened to cover other simplified contact languages formed through communication between speakers of different languages.
Related word forms
How pidgin is actually used
The term is neutral and technical when used in linguistics, though it may sound dismissive when applied to a particular speaker or community. “Contact language” is sometimes preferred in respectful or descriptive contexts.
Easily confused with pidgin
A pidgin is usually an auxiliary contact language, whereas a Creole is a fully developed language that has become the native language of a community.
Jargon refers more broadly to specialized vocabulary used by a particular group, while a pidgin is an entire language system formed through contact between different languages.