DR Congo
pardon
Meaning
please, when asking for something
Elsewhere
s’il te plaît
Explanation
Say pardon in Paris and you are apologising. In much of West and Central Africa, from Senegal to Congo, it is how you ask for something politely.
Example
Pardon, tu peux me passer le sel ?
Please, could you pass me the salt?
Origin
From the French noun pardon, a deverbal of pardonner (to forgive), first recorded around 1130.
Where
DR Congo
Senegal
Côte d’Ivoire
Burkina Faso
Togo
Benin
Niger