Notes » October 2007

Down South We Say Pidin

If you've ever used the word pidgin, you may not be aware that it comes from Chinese Pidgin English, which was a simplified language that developed between British traders and Chinese compradors (native-born Chinese agents employed by foreign companies to serve as intermediaries in commercial transactions) in the 19th century.

In fact, the word 'pidgin' is itself pidgin: the Chinese pronunciation of 'business'. In due course words from other European and Asian languages found their way into the mix, and eventually Chinese Pidgin English was reduced to a single word redefined to mean any simplified language between two or more groups.

So the next time you have occasion to say 'pidgin', remember that you're repeating an old Chinese articulation for 'business'.

Lord knows what it would have sounded like had the Chinese been dealing with Texans.

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