Bislama (Bislama)
Spoken at	Vanuatu
Number of speakers	200.000
Classification by family
- Pidgins and Creoles - Creole languages - English-based creole (in) - Bislama
Official status
Official language of	Vanuatu
Language codes
ISO 639-1	bi
ISO 639-2	bis
ISO 639-3	( en ) bis
IETF	bi
change

Bislama (Bislama also) or Bislama is a pidgin to basic lexical English , spoken in Vanuatu (former New Hebrides ).

It is the lingua franca of the archipelago which has, moreover, about 105 languages vernacular , since its independence in 1980 , is also one of the three official languages of the Republic of Vanuatu, on par with the French and ' English.

Summary 1 Origin of name 2 History 3 Alphabet and Pronunciation 3.1 Vowels 3.2 Consonants 3.3 Diphthongs 4 Grammar 4.1 Personal pronouns Singular 4.1.1 4.1.2 Duel 4.1.3 Triel 4.1.4 Plural 4.2 Basic Phrase 4.3 Verbs 4.4 aspectual markers 4.5 Prepositions 4.5.1 Blong 4.5.2 Long 4.5.3 Wetem 4.5.4 Olsem 4.5.5 From 4.6 Interrogatives 4.7 Number 4.8 Determination 4.9 Superlative 4.10 Some examples 5 Education 5.1 In France 6 Bibliography 7 Notes 8 External links 9 External links

/ / Origin of name

Bislama word comes from Portuguese bicho do mar "beche de mer, which designated a marine animal, the sea cucumber ^History

In the first half of the nineteenth ^century, French Polynesia has been the site of a major whaling. Many indigenous have been engaged in the whaling crews. This is the origin of a first pidgin used between members of these crews. The number of whales has decreased gradually, and thus their fishing, but remained as the pidgin language of communication.

At the same time in 1827, the presence of wooden sandal was revealed in the island of Erromango. This precious wood, prized in China, has been the subject of intense trade carried by merchants in Australia.

Both activities were added to the exploitation of sea cucumber, and its export to China.

But around 1860, these activities declined. It was then that have developed new plantations in Australia, especially in Queensland : especially sugar cane, but also cotton and copra. These crops requiring a lot of labor, almost 50 000 inhabitants of the future Vanuatu who were engaged in planting, during a period known as the " blackbirding ". The workers were hired for 3-year standard, but some have renewed 2 or 3 times this period. Workers from different islands, and thus speaking different languages, used them naturally pidgin that emerged then. Indeed, to communicate with each other, these workers used an uprooted talk franca , with an English vocabulary but preserving the syntax of the Melanesian languages. This pidgin is the origin of Tok Pisin today spoken in Papua New Guinea ; the Pijin spoke to Solomon Islands , and Bislama spoken in Vanuatu.

At the end of the period blackbirding, while workers were returning home around 1910, Bislama linguistically stabilized and then began to spread as a lingua franca in the archipelago of Vanuatu (then called the New Hebrides ). At independence in 1980, he became an official language, alongside French and English. In addition, in 1981, churches in Vanuatu have agreed to use the Bislama language of communication with their followers. This has considerably strengthened the position of this language, little consideration so far. In recent decades, migration, urbanization, marriage between different language groups, books and radio have contributed to the creolization of pidgin-English : Bislama, in both urban areas of the country ( Port- Vila and Santo ), thus became the first language of many speakers who have stopped speaking their native language. It nevertheless retains its status as pidgin (lingua franca) in rural areas of Vanuatu, which continue to speak the local languages of origin.

Bislama is currently the most used language in the archipelago of Vanuatu, both in daily life in the media or parliament, serving as a neutral ground in a country divided between French and English influences.

Alphabet and pronunciation

Vowels

• A, I, O = as in French
• E = "e" or ""
• = U "or"

Consonants

• B, D, F, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, V, Y = as in French
• G = g hard, often confused with K
• P and F are also sometimes confused (eg Prom / from)
• H = as in English, with some speakers mute
• J = between "dj" and "tch"
• W = as in "watt"

Diphthongs

• AE = close to "go"
• AO = close to the English "ow"

Grammar

Personal pronouns

Singular

• mi: I
• yu: you
• hem: he, she

Duel

• yumitu: we two inclusive (you and me)
• mitufala: we two exclusive (me and him)
• yutufala: you two
• tufala / tugeta: two of them together

Triel

• yumitrifala: we three inclusive (both of you and me)
• mitrifala: exclusive three of us (three of us)
• trifala: three of them

Plural

• yumi: inclusive we (us)
• Mifal: exclusive we (them and me)
• yufala: up (> 3)
• ol / olgeta: they, them (> 3)

Phrase based

There is no verb to be used as a copula.

• mid = dokter I am a doctor
• smol yu = you're small

The word i is used to indicate the end of the group subject to the third person singular.

• hem i = is dokter doctor
• haos i = waet the house is white

It is present even when the subject is omitted.

• i = smelem gud it feels good

The plural is introduced by ol, i then becoming oli.

• haos ol = oli waet houses are white

Verbs

Verbs are either invariant or have 2 forms.

Invariable verbs:

• kaka = eat (also "food")
• swim = shower (also "swim")
• dring drink =

Verbs variables:

• giv / = givim give
• good / bonem = burn, born
• kuk / kukum = cook, cooking

Shape-m indicates that the verb has a direct object. For example:

• haos i = good home burns
• mid = bonem haos I burn the house

aspectual markers

No: do not ... not

hem i no kaka yam = he does not eat of yam

nomo: Do ... more (placed before the predicate)

hem nomo kaka i yam = he does not eat more yams

nomo: Do ... that (placed after the predicate)

kaka i hem nomo yam = he only eats the yam

neva: Do ... never

hem i neva kaka yam = he never eats of yam

tions: the action just happen

i = Mifal your wekap we just wake up

Stats: start, beginning a process

hem i = STATEM kukum kumala it just started to cook the sweet potatoes

stap: action taking place, have the habit

hem i stap kukum kumala = she is doing cook sweet potatoes / she used to cook the sweet potatoes

bin: when the action takes place at a precise moment of the past

Hem i bin go long Kanal = he went to Luganville (the main town of Santo)

Finished: expresses the accomplished

kaka = i finished hem he finished eating

mas: duty, obligation

hem i mas kaka = must eat

traem: try, try

hem i = traemem singsing he tries to sing

wantem: want, desire

hem i go long wantem Kanal = he wants to go to Luganville

save: power, knowledge, ability

Mid save Toktok = I can speak Bislama Bislama

bambae (or only bae): future

hu ia i bambae karem yu haos i go Kasem? = t'emmenneras up so that home?

niu nem ia hem i Tekem weekends bambae = the new name it will adopt

supposes (or only SPOS or sipos): If the assumption expressed

i supposes yumitufala faenem pig ia bae yumi kilim hem = if we find that wild pig, we will kill him

Prepositions

Blong

Can be translated as "for" or "for". In rapid speech, may be reduced by blocking.

• Indicates a relationship of belonging.
  • haos blong mi = my house
  • naef blong yu = your knife
• Indicates a more general relation between determinant and determined.
  • wil blong trak = car tire
  • mit blong pig = pig meat
• Indicates a function or purpose.
  • buk blong rid = reader
  • WOTA blong dring = drinking water
  • mi go long taon blong pem = bred I went into town to buy bread
• Indicates a trait or origin.
  • man blong hem i = drink is a drunkard
  • hem i blong Tanna Tanna is =

Long

Can be translated as "to", "in", "on" or "with". In rapid speech, may be shortened by lo.

• Indicates a location.
  • Bred i stap long tebol = bread on the table
  • mi stap slip long haos = I sleep in the house
• Indicates the means, the instrument.
  • mi kam long trak = I came by car
  • mid = naef Katema Frut long I cut a piece of fruit with a knife
• Indicates a comparison.
  • Frut ia mo i gud long taro ia = this fruit is better than taro
  • Tanna kava i mo daerek long long long Santo = The kava kava on Tanna is stronger than the kava Santo

Wetem

Can be translated as "with", "along with".

• Indicates the accompaniment.
  • mi kam wetem yu = I'm coming with you

Olsem

• brand identity, similarity
  • sak wan made OLSEM = a fish like a shark
  • ia i wud strong OLSEM ayan = this wood is hard as iron

From

Can be translated as "because."

• Indicates the cause.
  • mid = bin kam from hariken I came because of Hurricane

Interrogatives

• Hamas: how much?
  • Hamas mane? : How much does it cost?
  • I hamas? : How much?
• Hu: who?
  • Hu ia woman? Who is this woman?
  • Nem blong yu Wanem? What is your name?
  • Nem blong man hu ia? : What is the name of this man?
• Wanem: What?
  • Yu wantem wanem? : What do you want?
• Wiswan: which one?
  • Yu Tekem wiswan? : Which do you take?
• Wea: where?
  • Yu go wea? : Where are you?
• Wanem Taem: when?
  • Stoa i Klos wanem Taem long? : At what time does the store?
• Weswe: how? How?

Numbers

• Cardinals
  • 1: Taiwan, 2: you; 3: Sorting and 4: for; 5: faef; 6: siki: 7: seven; 8: eit; 9: Naen, 10: ten, 11: leven; 12: twelef; 13: tatin, 14: Fotini; 15: feast; 16: sikistin; 17: seventin; 18: eitin; 19: naetin; 20: Twante, 30 Tate, 40: fote; 50: fefete; 60: sikiste, 70: seventies; 100: handred
• Ordinals
  • ^1: nambawan (or her) 2 ^e: Nambatu; ³ rd: nambatri ...

Determinants

• Taiwan: A (e)
• Sat-fala: for some
• plant: many
• ol the
• wanwan: one by one
• EVRI: all, every
• Sat long weekends: about
• ia: this, this

Superlative

Is built with the term "mo"

• ol mo NAES Buluk: the most beautiful cattle
• Gud wan mo Rod a better road

Examples

• Halo: Hello
• OLSEM wanem: How are you?
• i gud (nomo): (very) good
• Tangyu Tumas: Thank you very much
• Plies: please do
• Gudmoning: Hello
• Gudnaet: Good evening, good night
• Tata: goodbye
• Go to: goodbye
• lukim yu: A while ago, goodbye
• Wanem i rong long yu? What is your problem? What's wrong?
• Wet smol: wait a minute
• Man blong hem i dring Tusker: This is a beer drinker (Tusker, the local beer)
• Baramine / Krubera / pubel / KONTENER: a drunkard
• Graon i sek: Earthquake
• Basketball blong sisit: gut gut
• basket blong titi: bra
• hem i gat fat man Tumas ia: This man is hairy
• Pepet: insect
• Nakamal: case of men
• pat blong ol man blong traot weekends i oli stap mufmuf Taem Toktok: adam's apple
• sista blong yu bigfala Bokis Taem skrasem blong hem i Krae beautiful violin
• i gat wan bigfala Bokis blak tut tut Taem waet mo yu kilim hem i Krae: piano
• No fat gud: pubic hair

Education

In France

• Bislama is taught at the National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations ( Paris ), in the first round of Pacific Island languages

Bibliography

• Dictionary: Bislama to Franais, Port Vila, Marope Bookshop, 1977, 138 p.
• BALZER T., LEE E., Mulher USLER P., P. MONAGHAN, Pidgin Phrasebook. Pidgin languages of Oceania, Lonely Planet Publications
• CARPENTER (Jean-Michel), Le Pidgin Bislama (n) and multilingualism in the New Hebrides. Paris: SELAFA, 1979, 416p. (Languages and Civilizations at oral traditionalist 35)
• CROWLEY (Terry), An Illustrated Bislama-Franais Franais-and Bislama Dictionary, Port Vila, University of the South Pacific, 1990, 478p.
• CROWLEY (Terry), A New Bislama Dictionary, Suva, University of the South Pacific, 1995, 492 p.
• CROWLEY (Terry), Beach-La-Mar to Bislama: The Emergence of a National Language in Vanuatu, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-824893-8
• GUY (JBM). Handbook of Bislama / Manual Bislama. Canberra: The Australian National University, 1975, 356 p. (Pacific Linguistics, Series C, No. 34)
• TRYON (Darell T.) Bislama: An Introduction to the National Language of Vanuatu. Canberra: The Australian University, 1987, 261 p. (Pacific Linguistics, Series C, No. 50)
• A comic book published by Guy Michel Deroin to Port Vila simultaneously in French and Bislama: Mino, a new legend's son heads Tabu: Save me life or Mino, Niufala stori blong blong Jif pikinini Tab: Sevem laef blong mi.

Notes

Internal Links