Pigeon vs Pidgin: Difference and Comparison

To learn any language, the grammar of that particular language happens to be the key element, and it is almost impossible to know the slight differences that exist between many words without knowing certain rules of grammar.

Pigeon and Pidgin are two such words of English grammar that sound almost similar but still carry a lot of differences in their meaning.

And when learning English as a second language, it becomes really important to mark the existing differences between these two words. 

Key Takeaways

1. Pigeons are birds belonging to the Columbidae family, while pidgins are simplified languages used for communication between speakers of different native languages.
2. Pigeons exist in various species and are found worldwide, whereas pidgins develop in specific regions where language barriers exist.
3. Pigeons are known for their homing abilities, while pidgins are characterized by simplified grammar and vocabulary.

Pigeon vs Pidgin 

Pigeon refers to a type of bird that belongs to the family Columbidae. Pigeons are found worldwide and are known for their distinctive cooing sound. Pidgin refers to a simplified language that arises as a means of communication between two groups of people who do not share a common language.

Pigeon is basically a variety of birds that can be found almost all across the world very easily. It basically denotes a particular species of bird that are widely domesticated in almost all countries, and they can be seen flying free in the sky as well on many occasions.

This term in itself carries along with many other words, such as the domesticated and the wild pigeon, but still, it represents one particular species. 

Pidgin is a term that is used under the purview of English grammar, and most people that use English grammar are unaware of this particular term.

This term is used when a particular situation is referred to in which some people belonging to certain distinct linguistic groups meet one another, and they don’t find any common language between them to communicate, so as a result, they develop a particular language or dialect of their own. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Pigeon	Pidgin
Meaning	The term refers to a species of birds that is domesticated all across the world.	The term refers to a form of certain mixed languages.
Denotes	It denotes the bird’s kingdom in the biosphere.	It denotes the linguistic feature of any culture.
Represents	The birds	The language
Comes into existence after	Pigeons come into existence when does reproduction in male and female pigeons take place.	Pidgin comes into existence after certain languages are mixed and a new language arises.
Vowels	The term contains three vowels.	The term contains two vowels.

What is Pigeon? 

Belonging to the family Columbidae of the Animalia kingdom, the pigeon basically represents a particular species of bird that is domesticated all across the world. More than 5000 species of this particular term exist in different areas of the planet Earth. 

But a pigeon is never considered just a simple bird because we have always been used as messengers during the ugliest times of humanity.

In the past, people used to tie their messages with a pigeon and then send them to the recipient, so it can be said safely that the pigeons were the earlier WhatsApp of those people. 

Pigeons are also a very crucial part of the food chain of the atmosphere. They help reduce the unwanted population of certain insects and become eventual food for predators.

In conclusion, it can be said that a pigeon is a very important bird that has ever existed on the planet Earth. 

What is Pidgin? 

The term pidgin is used to represent a very specific situation that arises between certain linguistic groups.

In a situation where two or more groups meet one another and do not find any common language between them in order to communicate, they eventually develop a dialect of their own.

The term pidgin represents this particular dialect or language. 

Most of the time, this particular dialect arises when those groups accompany each other that are either related in terms of trade or business but differ in terms of their language.

In order to communicate with one another, it becomes a crucial need for them to have a language that is common to all of them. So as a result, they form a new language in which they take words from different languages. 

This particular language is never considered a whole language in itself, but it still gained some recognition by some language enthusiasts after a large number of people start following it.

In other words, this language can be considered as a second language for many people who don’t find common ground for communication with other people. 

Main Differences Between Pigeon and Pidgin 

1. Pigeon is a term used for a species of birds, while on the other hand, Pidgin is a term that represents a new language that arises after mixing certain languages. 
2. Pigeon contains 3 vowels in it, while on the other hand, Pidgin contains 2 vowels in it. 
3. Pigeon comes into existence when the reproduction between males and females of its species takes place, while on the other hand, Pidgin comes into existence after mixing certain languages. 
4. Pigeon denotes the Kingdom of birds in the atmosphere, while on the other hand, Pidgin denotes the linguistic feature of any culture. 
5. Pigeon and Pidgin both sound similar to one another and still represent two distinct features as the former is basically a word while the latter is just a dialect in English grammar. 

References

1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17449850701219876 
2. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=di7684-HkEkC&oi=fnd&pg=PA87&dq=pigeon+and+pidgin&ots=7P6VytgpWP&sig=EmmRj9XAD3JOChl-YPpwaLieZH0  

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023