As the lexicon of any pidgin will be limited to core vocabulary, words with only a specific meaning in the lexifier language may acquire a completely new (or additional) meaning in the pidgin. Ī pidgin may be built from words, sounds, or body language from a multitude of languages as well as onomatopoeia. A pidgin is not the native language of any speech community, but is instead learned as a second language. Linguists do not typically consider pidgins as full or complete languages.įundamentally, a pidgin is a simplified means of linguistic communication, as it is constructed impromptu, or by convention, between individuals or groups of people. 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). A pidgin / ˈ p ɪ dʒ ɪ n/, or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from several languages.

Pigeon pidgin