brad brace contemporary culture scrapbook

April 6, 2008

** Tok Pisin **

Filed under: global islands,language,png — admin @ 5:41 am

Tok Pisin = English
anka = anchor
ansa = result / answer
ansarim = to answer
antap = high / summit / up
apinun = afternoon / evening (early)
apinun = good afternoon
yunivesiti / univesiti = university
yusim = use
yutupela = you (two)
wokim = build (something)
wokim glas i go antap = wind up a window
wokim gut = repair (vb)
wokim / paitim bret = knead bread
wokman = worker / workman
woksop = workshop

** PNG Languages **

PNG is linguistically the most complex nation of the world. Over 800 languages are spoken in
this Pacific country. — http://pnglanguages.org —

The National or official languages of PNG are Hiri Motu, Tok Pisin and English.

Rotokas, a language spoken in PNG on the Island of Bougainville by approximately 4,300 people,
has the fewest sounds of any language, 11 (compared to the 44 or so of standard English).
These 11 are made up of five vowels and six consonants: A, E, I, O, U, B, G, K, P, R, T – a language with only 11 sounds. Six of those are used in the name of the language.

It has been reported that PNG has one language for every 900 square kilometres of the country.

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