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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
pidgin
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ As children acquire the pidgin, they use it with playmates and other children in their peer group.
▪ As we have already noted, pidgins are generally used by native speakers of other languages as a medium of communication.
▪ Compared to pidgins, a proper language can convey such complicated concepts using relatively few words.
▪ There is space here only to summarise very briefly the large amount of research on pidgin and Creole languages.
▪ Under certain circumstances, however, children may learn a pidgin as their first language.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
pidgin

1876, from pigeon English (1859), the reduced form of the language used in China for communication with Europeans, from pigeon (1826), itself a pidgin word, representing a Chinese pronunciation of business. Meaning extended 1891 to "any simplified language."

Wiktionary
pidgin

n. (context linguistics English) 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.

WordNet
pidgin

n. an artificial language used for trade between speakers of different languages

Wikipedia
Pidgin

A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups that do not have a language in common: typically, a mixture of simplified languages or a simplified primary language with other languages' elements included. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the country in which they reside (but where there is no common language between the groups). Fundamentally, a pidgin is a simplified means of linguistic communication, as it is constructed impromptu, or by convention, between individuals or groups of people. A pidgin is not the native language of any speech community, but is instead learned as a second language. A pidgin may be built from words, sounds, or body language from multiple other languages and cultures. They allow people who have no common language to communicate with each other. Pidgins usually have low prestige with respect to other languages.

Not all simplified or "broken" forms of a language are pidgins. Each pidgin has its own norms of usage which must be learned for proficiency in the pidgin.

A pidgin differs from a creole, which is the first language of a speech community of native speakers, and thus has a fully developed vocabulary and grammar. Most linguists believe that a creole develops through a process of nativization of a pidgin when children of pidgin-speakers use it as their primary language.

Pidgin (software)

Pidgin (formerly named Gaim) is a free and open-source multi-platform instant messaging client, based on a library named libpurple that has support for many instant messaging protocols, allowing the user to simultaneously log in to various services from one application.

The number of Pidgin users was estimated to be over three million in 2007.

Pidgin is widely used for its Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR) plugin, which offers end-to-end encryption. For this reason it is included in the privacy- and anonymity-focused operating system Tails.

Pidgin (disambiguation)

Pidgin is a simplified language that develops between two or more groups who do not share a common language.

Pidgin may also refer to:

  • Pidgin (software), an instant messaging client formerly known as Gaim
  • Pidgin code, a mixture of several programming languages in the same program

Usage examples of "pidgin".

Intermixed were vendors of all kinds, and swarms of maids shouting the virtues of the Houses in versions of pithy, raucous pidgin, and sounding over everything the happy banter of potential customers, most of whom were recognized and had their favored places.

Like this little house and this man and woman, chattering half in Japanese, half in pidgin, laughing one with another, one a madam the other a customer, both pretending they are something else.

Here the Yoshiwara seemed to be slumbering, but not far away the houses and bars on Main Street were bubbling, the night young with the noise of men laughing and raucous singing, the occasional twang of samisen and laughter and pidgin mixed with it.

That is true but because of her, last night I went to the Three Carp and saw Raiko and while we talked in our mixture of Japanese and English and pidgin I suddenly felt that the other had just been a rotten nightmare and that any moment Hana would appear, the laugh in her eyes, and my heart would swirl as always and we would leave Raiko and bathe together, play there, eat in private and love without haste.

Only speak Japanese, no pidgin, become a teacher, encourage him, and remember he is ridiculously shy and knows nothing and never mention Kant-er-bury.

She stared up at him a moment, then more Japanese and pidgin that did not make sense.

Their communication was with sign language and a little pidgin, and he was chief bodyguard.

As Malcolm had explained, speaking in correct English directly at Ah Soh, not pidgin, that the maid could not understand would make her lose face.

When children learn a pidgin as their native language, it will begin to develop as any other language does.

It is essentially pidgin Indo-European, without enough native speakers as yet to qualify as a Creole.

Susumo has made a start at establishing a pidgin to enable us to communicate with the sprookjes.

In pidgin, it was the nipping motion with which everyone in camp had been examined.

Vikry was familiar with the pidgin and she had no sprookje for reassurance.

LightningStruck did it for her, adding the pidgin gesture as well, with a glance at Tocohl to see if she understood.

Merizo thought about it for a moment and seemed satisfied that the formalities had been observed, because he began to speak pidgin, using the fly whisk to help his gestures.