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pidgin, originally, a language that typically developed out of sporadic and limited contacts between Europeans and non-Europeans in locations other than Europe from the 16th through the early 19th century and often in association with activities such as trade, plantation agriculture, and mining. Typical pidgins function as lingua francas, or means for intergroup communication, but not as vernaculars, which are usually defined as language varieties used for ordinary interactions that occur outside a business context....