The Ecphorizer

Pidgin Lesson

Issue #32 (April 1984)

When independence day came to Papua, New Guinea, there was, of course, an Independence Day. This was a bit too much for Pidgin to handle successfully, so there was considerable confusion among the populace about just what the significance of this "Underpants Day" was!

Here's some more Pidgin English to brighten your day! There is no word for cow, the female type of cattle. Pidgin handles it this way (Watch carefully!). The general term for the species is "bullmakau"; the term for woman is "men". So, the term to describe a cow is "bullmakau men" (Saw it coming, didn't you!) Okay, if you think it's so easy, what does "kilim" mean? No, it doesn't mean "kill"; it means to hit hard. "Kill" is "kilim i dai"! And "pusim" doesn't mean what you think it does, either. (It means "to luck", so be careful!)

---

Contributor Profile