"Yu likem tok tok?"
We learned that what looked to be a badly structured and spelled variation of English was actually the national tongue of Vanuata, called Bislama. Bislama is an English-based form of pidgin which allows people from all over the islands of Vanuatu to speak to each other. It is used for debates in Parliament and is printed on the currency. The local newspaper may have some stories written in English and others written in Bislama.
It may seem weird to speak both Bislama and English but the language fills an important niche. There are over 113 local languages spoken in the country, which is the highest concentration of different languages per person of any country in the world. Until independence in 1980, Vanuata was jointly ruled by England and France. Because of this, both French and English were spoken and taught in school. Combined with the many different versions of local languages, it is easy to see that there is a need for a relatively simple language that everyone can speak.
Just because the grammer is simple and the number of words is small doesn't make the language easy for non ni-Vans to pick up. Ni-Vans speak Bislama very rapidly to one another. Sometimes you are just barely able to follow the conversation thread but usually it is very difficult. Reading Bislama is a little easier, but much of the spelling is done phonetically so you find yourself mouthing out the words while you read along with the text.
Here are some common words and phrases we have learned in Bislama:
"toktok" - to talk to some one, talk on the phone, have a conversation.
"wanem nem blong yu?" - What's your name?
"blong" - can either mean for, belong, of, or from, depending on the context.
"ia" - here; this.
"ol" - all or plural.
"long" - big, whole, all, large or variations of along such as next to, at, to, or in.
"rum blong swim" - shower room.
"Yu ting you likim?" - Do you like?
We have had fun learning to speak and read Bislama. Even if most of the spoken bislama goes over our heads, it is fun to try and decifier the various signs we come across around town.
SWC
