Bislama is the official language of Vanuatu. It's a mixture of French and English pigeon talk. Here are a few interesting words and phrases translated into Bislama:
hello = alo
goodbye = tata
ocean = solwater
bra = basket blong titi
I speak little Bislama = Mi tok tok smol Bislama nomo
Thank you very much = Tank yu tumas
(and finally, my personal favorite)
helicopter = mixmaster blong Jesus Christ
Apparently, many languages developed over time across Vanuatu's 83 islands. Over 100 languages are currently spoken there, excluding English and French. So Bislama is relied upon as a secondary language for all these different groups of islanders to communicate.
Tata for now.
After 5 fabulous years in Chicago and 27 months serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Vanuatu, I've arrived back to the beginning.
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Disclaimer
This blog is a reflection of my experiences and thoughts. The contents are solely mine and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
1 comment:
haha, that language is funny. Reminds me a lil bit about the broken down english Jamaicans talk-patwa. shouldn't be all too difficult to pick up on I would think! hehe
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