*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of pidge

Clipping of pigeonhole. First attested in the early 2000s; the verb is attested earlier than the noun.

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To post (something) in a pigeonhole.

noun

A pigeonhole.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of pigeonhole. First attested in the early 2000s; the verb is attested earlier than the noun.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pigeonhole"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of pigeonhole"
    },
    {
      "name": "etydate",
      "args": {
        "1": "early 2000s"
      },
      "expansion": "First attested in the early 2000s"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "pigeonhole",
      "pigeonhole#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To post (something) in a pigeonhole."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "03b111d7ea843a166600b89737c3f5bb595fcac9ebbc0f699afd0e55f477340a",
      "rawRecordSha256": "1ec073fa4976d109385652ca4b33274f91faacf50da20c5924dec50e9a3788e0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5011261
    },
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A pigeonhole."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "0551510a4545dd5dfac23f87c9eb8ed1cb83ae3e47281ec2e879c3c063b56199",
      "rawRecordSha256": "fb4ffc40afa37ebf3fdd3c84985adbe03a7fccbdc5d84ff8bc9458ea8734c11f",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5011260
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A pigeon.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of pigeon.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pigeon"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of pigeon"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "pigeon",
      "pigeon#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A pigeon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "endearing",
        "informal"
      ],
      "recordId": "388dcc9afaef6dfd2c902345d0813c0d576262917f27f8813cee39d019315e0f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "fc6b00b46b156fc8d6a91202488d793237f87cda331a210acb835c8545e59bd5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5011262
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for pidge →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-cGlkZ2U