pidgin English

or Pidgin English

noun

1. a pidgin language based on English formerly used in commerce in Chinese ports.
2. a similar language used in other areas, such as Papua New Guinea (where it has semiofficial status) and parts of West Africa.

pidgin English

noun

1. a pidgin in which one of the languages involved is English

Word History and Origins

Origin of pidgin English¹

1820–30; pidgin, pigeon < Chinese Pidgin English: business, affair; etymology uncertain, but often alleged to be Chin pronunciation of business

Example Sentences

In Obasi’s narrative, spoken in Pidgin English and set in a fictional West African seaside community called Iyi, Mami Wata’s sway over a struggling people is called into question vocally, then violently.

From Los Angeles Times

A man of the people, he knew his audience and tended to speak in Pidgin English.

From BBC

Interviewed about her career, her son Michael Hood told Entertainment Weekly that he once asked her why she would agree to do roles in pidgin English.

From Seattle Times

This love of reggae has also had a cultural bearing on the language: it is not hard these days to hear Ghanaians talking a little Jamaican Patios, which is different from Pidgin English, a lingua franca spoken by roughly a fifth of Ghana's population.

From BBC

His music is known for its catchy Yoruba and Pidgin English lyrics, recognisable beat and his tagline - Ololade mi Asake - which listeners can hear at the start of several of his songs.

From BBC