pig Latin

or Pig Lat·in

[ pig lat-n ]

noun

1. a form of language, used especially by children, that is derived from ordinary English by moving the first consonant or consonant cluster of each word to the end of the word and adding the sound (ā), as in eakspay igpay atinlay for “speak pig Latin.”

Pig Latin

noun

1. a secret language used by children in which any consonants at the beginning of a word are placed at the end, followed by -ay; for example cathedral becomes athedralcay

Word History and Origins

Origin of pig Latin¹

First recorded in 1840–45

Example Sentences

The distortions are something on the order of Pig Latin or the languages which groups of children sometimes concoct.

From Project Gutenberg

It's about the political machines, all right, but it isn't anything as simple as pig-Latin.

From Project Gutenberg