How do you pronounce pidgin?

The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpɪ.d͡ʒən/.

pidgin

/ˈpɪ.d͡ʒən/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.54 in modern English

Syllables: pid-gin
IPA: /ˈpɪ.d͡ʒən/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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. The speech is slow and supported by mime and gesture.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

A person's business, occupation, work, or trade (also spelt as pigeon).

Archaic; Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

"‘I didnʼt know you can speak pidgin,’ he said and laughed."
"Forget money. That's my pidgin."
"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."

Etymology

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”) * Chinese pronunciation of Portuguese ocupação (“occupation; business”) * South Seas pronunciation of beach * Portuguese baixo (“low”)

Origin

Source language: English

Word Breakdown

Root: -, business, פִּדְיוֹן, ocupação, baixo

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈpɪ.d͡ʒən/
British English: /ˈpɪ.d͡ʒɪn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

pidgins (plural)

Derived Forms

pidginisation pidginization pidginise pidginize pidginist pidginogenic Pijin prepidgin

Phrases

Chinese pidgin English expanded pidgin Melanesian Pidgin English New South Wales Pidgin English NSW Pidgin English Port Jackson Pidgin Queensland Pidgin English Tok Pisin

Frequently Paired Words

pidgin English creole

Synonyms

baragouin

Homonyms

pigeon

Rhymes With

religion pigeon smidgen irreligion wigeon pijin