pidgin: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1-C2Formal, technical (linguistics, anthropology); sometimes informal in metaphorical use.
Quick answer
What does “pidgin” mean?
A simplified form of a language that develops as a means of communication between groups who do not share a common language, often used for trade or practical purposes.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A simplified form of a language that develops as a means of communication between groups who do not share a common language, often used for trade or practical purposes.
More broadly, any simplified or hybrid language used for basic communication. In computing, 'pidgin' can refer to simplified code or protocols. The term is also used metaphorically to describe any crude, makeshift system of communication or operation.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences in usage. The term is used identically in linguistic and anthropological contexts.
Connotations
Neutral in academic contexts. In metaphorical or informal use, it may carry a slight connotation of being rudimentary or substandard.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both varieties, confined primarily to academic/specialist discussions.
Grammar
How to Use “pidgin” in a Sentence
NOUN + VERB: pidgin + develop/evolve/emergeADJ + NOUN: simplified/basic/stable + pidginVERB + NOUN: speak/use/create + a pidginVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “pidgin” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They began to pidginise elements of the local dialect for trade.
American English
- The settlers and tribes pidginized a basic form of communication.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically to describe a very basic, shared vocabulary in international teams.
Academic
Primary context. Used in linguistics, sociolinguistics, anthropology, and colonial/post-colonial studies.
Everyday
Very rare. Mishearing for 'pigeon' is common.
Technical
Specific use in linguistics. Also the name of a multi-protocol instant messaging client ('Pidgin').
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “pidgin”
Strong
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “pidgin”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “pidgin”
- Misspelling as 'pigeon'.
- Using it interchangeably with 'creole'.
- Using it as a pejorative term for any non-standard language.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A pidgin is a simplified contact language with no native speakers. When a pidgin is acquired by children as their first language and develops a full, complex grammar, it becomes a creole.
Not exactly. While 'broken English' is a non-technical, often pejorative term for imperfect English use, 'Pidgin English' refers to specific, stable contact languages (like Nigerian Pidgin) with their own systematic rules.
Yes, through the process of creolization and subsequent standardization. A well-known example is Tok Pisin, an English-based pidgin that became a creole and is now an official language of Papua New Guinea.
No, it is a separate word. 'Pidgin' is believed to be a Chinese corruption of the English word 'business', as in 'business English'. The spelling similarity to 'pigeon' is coincidental.
A simplified form of a language that develops as a means of communication between groups who do not share a common language, often used for trade or practical purposes.
Pidgin is usually formal, technical (linguistics, anthropology); sometimes informal in metaphorical use. in register.
Pidgin: in British English it is pronounced /ˈpɪdʒ.ɪn/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈpɪdʒ.ɪn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Pidgin English (specific type)”
- “In a sort of pidgin (metaphorical for crude communication)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'PIDGIN is a language that's PATCHED IN' from other languages for practical purposes.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE IS A TOOL (a pragmatic, makeshift tool for a specific job).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a defining characteristic of a pidgin language?