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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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pidgin English
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Any form of English with a greatly reduced vocabulary and grammatical rules of its own, developed originally for commercial transactions. The word 'pidgin' is believed to derive from the attempt of the Chinese in Canton to say 'business', the subject of their discussions with the British in the early 19C. Today people are more inclined to learn correct English, but pidgin has survived as a separate language in several parts of the world – most notably New Guinea, where the term for the British queen is said to have evolved as Big Fella Number One Missus.
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