"PIDGIN ENGLISH."

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 23, 28 January 1928, Page 13 (Supplement)

"PIDGIN ENGLISH."

A HEW DIGNITY. &EOOGH ITIOIf HV jnSW GUINEA STORY ©F ITS ORIGIN. /•; : f* -v ;•«-' - - » After a conference : of her administration officers ' and missionaries, New Gnmea has announced the adoption of an official language. ®nce the usual knowledge of pidgin Unghsh is limited to such idiom as "all une6 " and "no tickee, no washee," the of considering it as one of the polite languages seems a bit fantastic. The sojourner in the Far East acquires a greater degree of fluency, of course, ft* s just as hard for him to take pidgin seriously or to believe that such a nonsensical pargon is at present the common tongue in daily use by hundreds of thousands of people, that it is of such ®gMty as to boast a dictionary—to say iKwnrng of a literature—and that not ®we than forty years ago it was hailed **tne coming lingua franca of the world. The glory now conferredon pidgin by. New Guinea has teen e * rn ®I over a long period of service—a indispensible to the. cosmopolitan jargon has attained distinction not only because it has been an'essential ™ the life of the East, but equally betise the foreigner there has found it waatible. Its enchanting qualities are tt than described, and ™®fwlowiiig rendition of a favourite Wfsery rhyme offers a fair introduction: Singec songee «ick a pence, _ rockeemuehee lye (rye): frozen two time blackee bird Cookee in ee pie. — > • i c . n ' lim euttee top-side Birdee mucbee sin?; Him tinkee nicee dish Settee for ee King I . ' «Jiigee in ee talke loom (room) Conntee muchee money, yiifenee in ee kitchee Chow-chow breadee honey. ££ an t wot kee Washee hangee clothes, V? C '* U> P conjee blackee bird Yippee off her nose! It must be conceded that the original » enhanced by the translation, following version of that old maxim which urges us to '*7 again," pidgin lends force to fought and leaves the original dull •^deliberate: P^ e some t'ing you no can do; do him till you could." ridgin English came into being in J"® 4 the seventeenth century when in p 66 * foreigners established themselvs _*-®nton. Although they were there-to trade -with the Chinese, the idea mastering an Oriental tongue appealed nitfekT * ew them. So, in time, the obligingly accepted the ; mental 'risibilities necessary to relieve the "•"jation and set abont trying to conoreigners' language, which for most part, English. The did not make this concession iinont reservations. Apparently they wied the right to discard from Eng-

lish certain disagreeable elements having to do with structure and sound and to substitute for them some highly delightful and fantastic features reflecting their own ingenuity. The result was pidgin.

Consider the word "pidgin" itself, in comparison to our English "business," its literal translation. "Business" is a word without charm, being clumsy, difficult to pronounce, wholly unpleasant. On the other hand, "pidgin" is a sprightly word and-a bit frolicsome. Considered from the point of view of the relationship between thought and sound, it takes the grim utilitarian qualities out of that activity we call business and leaves it a happy pastime. Thus so truly expressing the Celestial's conception of tie "foreign devil's" business, as any one who has experienced the delightful irresponsibility of the Chinese coolie knows. Learned etymologists differ as to the origin of the word "pidgin." It has been credited to Hebrew, to Portuguese and to Sanscrit! However, if you will corner an unlettered Chinaman and ask him to say "business," he, putting forth his best effort and heaming with the assurance that he understands you perfectly, will respond with an unmistakable "pidgin." An Aversion To "R." . Many other delightful words originated from difficulties encountered in the pronunciation of English, or in what philologists call the law of HobsonThe Oriental overcomes snch difficulties in his own way; if he stumbles over a consonant he iust omits it or substitutes another more to his liking. He has an aversion to the letter R, for which he invariably chooses to: substitute L. One result is the "tlain: allive" of the stationmaster. And we'niav havo instead of,, the .butler's cold and stiff "Dinner is served,- Madam," the delightfully informal, "Ohow-chow allee leady Missee." "Fly lice" f OT fried ri considered too literally, is not particularly appetising, but what could convey an idea more delectable than •slow-belly jam-'t" "Flen" for friend might well be an affectionate diminutive, and my tly" (FU try), no matter how patently insincere is an unconscious appeal for indulgence* which.it is difficult to disregard. The Chinese has a particular dislike tor words ending in certain consonants, and to this inhibition we may attribute such sprightly words as "eatchee," piecee " "losee » "muchee," "washee," r f °L Clulo (child )> "gUo" (girl), style 686 m3Ure a ght ' capricious Pidgin practically dispenses with grammatical inflection, an admirable characteristic borrowed from the Chinese tongue. A single word serves for all t person pronouns, my meaning I we mine, our, etc. "Chilo no bloug my s '' for' That w not my child," and "My no »likee Canton-side 5 * show the diversity of J uses. Gender is disregarded along with other grammatical encumbrances, and in the third person "he" meets all needs. My missee, he no stop," announces the houseboy when madam is out. A waiter serving breakfast apologised for the broken yolk of the egg with "My vellv solly he bust." •" -

Pidgin is not without its literature. The earliest efforts were signs of Shanghai merchants, inspired by a desiro for publicity among the "red-haired

people." Many of these early works are] still preserved, and those of contemporary merchants are quite as worth while. Laborious and unaided study of the dictionary is apparent, resulting in correctly spelled English words put together pidgin fashion. There is a conscious effort toward literary style, although clearness and consciseness may be lacking. This is demonstrated by Suey Sun, who announces "Any Mortal Thing Can Do." "Skinney Munitions" reads the sign of his neighbour, a leather dealer, while a lingerie tailor, unaware that he is out of date, advertises Ladys Garments of Modestee." The courteous barber makes known his good qualities by "Barber The Kindness Shop." "Gentlemen Dress Taylor an Ladyes Maker—All Can Make It" competes with "May Ti Pi Dress Taylor— Ladyes Have Fits Upstairs." The missionary influence is apparent in the legend of the thermos bottle vendor: "Icy Hot Bottles —Warm As The Love Of God."