The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-12-13

Taking ali this for granted, IL is proposed
to consider the future Of that strange jare0n
known as Pigeon English" language
resulting from the meeting of East and West
IN the ports Of China. This language if such
it may be called, derives its name from Sc
rics Of changes in the VOID Business. The
early traders in China made constant use of
this word and the Cinnamon contracted it to
Busia, and then through the change Of PiShiR
to Ptge0ia In this last form II still retains
its original meaning, and people talk of
whatever business they may have In hand as
their pigeon" All mercantile transactions
between the Chinese and the Europeans are
carried on in this new form of speech, Do
nestle servants, male and female, Gave TO
learn it to qualify themselves Tor situations
with the "Outer Barbarlans;' but the newest
and most important feature of ali is, that the
Chinese themselves are 10 certain extent,
adopting this language. This is owing to
the fact that men of different provinces can
not understand each others dialect The
written Mandarin character, however, could
be read and understood all over China, and
the provincials used to write what they wish.
ed to say in this character, and could thus
manage to do business together But now,
if they both should happen TO know Pigeon
English they use il as the means Of con-.
munlCatou. 4 lingua.!ranca was needed,
and the common necessity has supplied the
demand. 1t may be premature to call Pigeon
English language. 1t il only the begin
ming OF one, Although facts car be express
cd by it, it IS in Il most defective condition;
so much So that an Englishman, when he
first reaches China, is very much amused at
what seems to him "a relic ot Bebel If it
should be his fate t. stay in the country, he
dislkes to adopt it; his SENSE of good man.
ners makes it distasteful to him 10 speak
such Il argOn, for it sounds like making a
| fool Of the party addressed. llcle we get an
evidence of the power of growth which this
iniantile speech is possessed Of for however
reluctant any one may be 10 speak it, he Is
forced by the necessity of the case TO do so.
was only traveller for few months in
China, but found myself obliged to acquire
the habit of speaking what seemed to me, at
first, nonsensca rubbish. could not got
on without It, On my arrival | got Chi
nesc scryant--scrvants in China are all called
"boys,' in fact tins is one of the words of
Pigeon English, and it is scarcely necessary
TO state that it is not derived from the Irish
1t is usual to breakfast about twelve o'clock
and it is customary to have some tea, toast,
and perhaps an egg served in your bedroom
when yon get up, and before dressing The
ll9I i''lH'AlS 'NlI'S0Ct my NlSuIS WI ll'IN
matter in my usual way Of talk, and the
boy went off smiling, as if he understood
my meaning; but as he did not come back,
made some inquiries of my friends in the
house. They asked what | said 10 the boy"
and repeated the words as near rs | could
rccollcct them, to the effect that | wanted
some breakfast, and would like il Immediate
ly. was then told that | might rs well
have talked Greek Ia hun, and that ought
to have said, "Calchcy some chow-chow
Chosr-ctor is understood in
this rs something to eat; and the last double
word is equivalent to quick.Quicl," Had Il
been q comic actor, and the ordering my
breakfast been a farce, it might have been
possible to feel that | was saying the Iignt
thing in this way, That not being my pig.
con-" ! felt reluctant TO do IT. but when cat
ing, drinking and all your wants arc found
to depend upon its use, you soon give IN:
and here Is the source of growth in the Ian
glagc, and the reason why it advances and
spreads in China.-NdrmHlaH's NdgG-iac.