Etymology

The word is said to be derived from the Chinese pronunciation of the English word business. Likely the origins lie in the exclusively-Cantonese term which means establishing a good business relationship. Scholars though dispute this derivation of the word "pidgin", and suggest alternative etymologies since it was known also as "Pigeon English" in reference to imagery of the carrier pigeon. Unfortunately there exists no historical evidence for the term's origins to prove any suggestion.

Creation of Pidgins

The creation of a pidgin usually requires:

• Prolonged, regular contact between the different language communities

• A need to communicate between them

• An absence of (or absence of widespread proficiency in) a widespread, accessible interlanguage.

Also, Keith Whinnom (in Hymes 1971) suggests that pidgins need three languages to form, with one (the superstrate) being clearly dominant over the others.

Common Traits among Pidgins

Since a Pidgin strives to be a simple and effective form of communication, the grammar, phonology, et cetera, are as simple as possible, and usually consist of:

• A Subject-Verb-Object word order in a sentence

• No codas within syllables (Syllables consist of a vowel, with an optional initial consonant)

• Basic vowels, like /a/ /i/ /u/ /e/ /o/

• Separate words that indicate tense, usually before the verb

• Words are repeated twice to represent plurals, superlatives, and other parts of speech that represent the concept being increased

Caribbean Pidgins

Caribbean pidgins are the result of colonialism. As tropical islands were colonised their society was restructured, with a ruling minority of some European nation and a large mass of non-European laborers. The laborers, natives, slaves or cheap immigrant workers, would often come from many different language groups and would need to communicate. This led to the development of pidgins.

Pacific Pidgins

The Melanesian pidgins may have originated off their home islands, in the 19th century when the islanders were abducted for indentured labour. Hence they were developed by Melanesians for use between each other, not by the colonists on whose language they are based. English provides the basis of most of the vocabulary, but the grammar has many Melanesian features

The most well-known pidgin used in America is the now creolized Hawaiian Pidgin where locals mixed the traditional dialect of Hawaiian with English, Japanese, Portuguese, and other languages of immigrants of Hawaii and Pacific traders.

Pidgins become creole languages when a generation whose parents speak pidgin to each other teach it to their children as their first language. Often creoles can then replace the existing mix of languages to become the native language of the current community. However, pidgins do not always become creoles—they can die out or become obsolete.

Creole language

A creole language, or just creole, is a well-defined and stable language that originated from a non-trivial combination of two or more languages, typically with many distinctive features that are not inherited from either parent. All creole languages evolved from pidgins, usually those that have become the native language of some community.