Etymograph

English

sing-sing

Sing-sing comes from Tok Pisin singsing ‘party’, and goes back to English sing.

  1. English1500–presentsing1
  2. Tok Pisinmodernsingsing2‘party’
  3. Englishtodaysing-sing2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Tok Pisin singsing
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English sing-sing

Lineage

  1. English1500–presentsingWiktionary, Tok Pisin singsing
  2. Tok PisinmodernsingsingWiktionary, English sing-sing‘party’
  3. Englishtodaysing-singWiktionary, English sing-sing

Every English word from English sing

Today it means

noun An annual gathering of tribes or villages in Papua New Guinea in order to share dance, music, and culture.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “sing-sing”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Tok Pisin singsing. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / English sing / sing-sing

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