pidgin
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English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
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”)[1]
- Chinese pronunciation of Portuguese ocupação (“occupation; business”)[1]
- South Seas pronunciation of beach[1]
- Portuguese baixo (“low”)[1]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈpɪ.dʒɪn/
- (US) enPR: pĭjʹən, IPA(key): /ˈpɪ.dʒən/
- Rhymes: -ɪdʒən, -ɪdʒɪn
- Homophone: pigeon
Noun[edit]
pidgin (countable and uncountable, plural pidgins)
- (linguistics) 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.
- (archaic, idiomatic) A person's business, occupation, work, or trade.
- 1950, Robert A. Heinlein, The Man Who Sold the Moon:
- Forget money. That's my pidgin.
- 2015, Guy Cullingford, Post Mortem:
- 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.
Usage notes[edit]
- Some pidgins that have developed into creoles nevertheless (confusingly) retain the word "pidgin" in their names.
Synonyms[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Related terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers
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See also[edit]
References[edit]
Further reading[edit]
- Pidgin English - English Dictionary: from Webster's Dictionary - the Rosetta Edition.
Polish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
pidgin m inan
- (linguistics) Alternative spelling of pidżyn.
Declension[edit]
declension of pidgin
Derived terms[edit]
- (adjective) pidginowy
Further reading[edit]
- pidgin in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- pidgin in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Portuguese[edit]
Noun[edit]
pidgin m (plural pidgins)
- (linguistics) pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers)
Spanish[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
pidgin m (plural pidgins or pidgin)
- (linguistics) pidgin (amalgamation of two languages having no native speakers)
Categories:
- English terms borrowed from Chinese Pidgin English
- English terms derived from Chinese Pidgin English
- English twice-borrowed terms
- English terms borrowed from Hebrew
- English terms derived from Hebrew
- English terms derived from Portuguese
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with homophones
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English uncountable nouns
- English countable nouns
- en:Linguistics
- English terms with archaic senses
- English idioms
- English terms with quotations
- Polish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Polish lemmas
- Polish nouns
- Polish masculine nouns
- Polish inanimate nouns
- pl:Linguistics
- Portuguese lemmas
- Portuguese nouns
- Portuguese irregular nouns
- pt:Linguistics
- Spanish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Spanish lemmas
- Spanish nouns
- Spanish countable nouns
- Spanish masculine nouns
- es:Linguistics