“PIDGIN ENGLISH”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 10 January 1931, Page 4

“PIDGIN ENGLISH”

The word “pidgin,” or “pigeon,” as connected with English, is a Chinaman’s poor attempt to pronounce the word “business.” Dr. Brewer gives it—business, ) bidginess, bidgin, pidgin, pigeon. “Pigeon English” therefore means “business English.” It is a strange admixture of English, Chinese, and Portuguese, and is used in all parts of tho Far East as a means of communication between the natives and the foreigners. Business relations in the Far East developed to such vast proportions, and reached into so many channels, that some universally-understood means of communication became necessary, Pidgin, or Pigeon, English was the result. Experts in the East have amused themselves and their friends with translations of English poetry into Pigeon English. The following are two verses from Longfellow’s well-known poem “Excelsior, so rendered: “Too muchee darkee come chop chop. One young man walkee, no can stop, Maskee snow ! maskeo ipe ! lie cally flag with chop so nice. Topside —Gfilah. lie muchee solly, ono pieccc eye Lookee sharp, so. all same my Ho talkeo largo, lie talkee strong, Too muchee curio, all same gong. Topside—Galah.” As there is an Anglo-Chinese language called “Pigeon English,” so there is an Aifglo-Indian of a somewhat similar character called “Baboo English” —a mixture of Engbsh and Hindustani words.