What is Pig Latin?

Pig Latin is a language game or argot in which words in English are altered, usually by adding a fabricated suffix or by moving the onset or initial consonant or consonant cluster of a word to the end of the word and adding a vocalic syllable to create such a suffix. For example, “WikipediA” would become “IkipediWay”. The objective is to conceal the words from others not familiar with the rules.

Pig Latin has its roots in a variety of other game languages, such as “pork-pie,” probably derived from a language game popular in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It most likely dates back to the 18th century, and some suggest it was derived from an ancient form of corporeal punishment on British ships wherein a sailor would be made to stand on a “pig,”—or wooden box—in the middle of the deck while being pelted with citrus fruits.

The Rules of Pig Latin

The rules of Pig Latin are quite simple. The basic rule is to take the first consonant or consonant cluster from the word, move it to the end, and then add “ay” to the end. In some varieties of Pig Latin, the “-ay” can be replaced by “-ey” or “-yay”, and some don’t add any text to the end.

For example, the word “Wikipedia” would become “ikipediaWay”, and the word “apple” would become “apple-ay”. There are some exceptions to the rule, however; words that begin with a vowel will not have a consonant moved to the end. Instead, the “way” suffix is added at the end. For example, the word “egg” would become “eggway”.

Be sure to remember that some versions of Pig Latin don’t add a suffix. For example, in some versions, “Wikipedia” would be “ikipedia”.

Regional Variations

Due to the sheer number of variants and regional variations of Pig Latin, it is impossible to list all of them here. Generally, regional variations focus on taking the first syllable or sound rather than just letter and changing it to the end of the word. For example, in some regions, “WikipediA” might become “Ikediepay”. Some regional variations will add suffixes other than “ay”, such as “-iggy”, “-iggay” or “-oogay”.

In some areas, the word “got” might be pronounced as “ogtay”. Other areas might pronounce the word “strawberry” as “awberrystray”. There is also a version of Pig Latin sometimes called “Dog Latin,” in which the word “dog” is pronounced as “ogday”.

Popular Culture

Pig Latin has been featured in many popular books, films and television shows. The 2008 film Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa featured a song performed mostly in Pig Latin. Pig Latin has also been featured in books, such as the “Harry Potter” series, and episodes of various television shows, such as “The Simpsons” and “Friends”.

Pig Latin, although sometimes seen as a silly language game, is still popular, especially among children and teenagers. It can be a way for people to talk in code, or it can just be a fun way of speaking.