Hiri Motu
Austronesian
Hiri Motu (Police Motu) is a simplified contact variety of the Motu language of Papua New Guinea, originally developed as a trade lingua franca for the Hiri trading expeditions between the Motu people of Port Moresby and the Gulf Province peoples. The variety was further simplified and standardized by the Royal Papuan Constabulary (Police Motu) and Australian colonial administration in the 19th-early 20th centuries to serve as a regional lingua franca. Hiri Motu became one of three official languages of Papua New Guinea under the 1975 Independence Constitution, alongside English and Tok Pisin. However, since independence Hiri Motu has been steadily losing ground to Tok Pisin (tpi), which has emerged as the dominant pan-PNG lingua franca, particularly in younger generations. Linguistically, Hiri Motu uses simplified Motu phonology and grammar with Australian English-derived loanwords for modern technology.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Hiri Motu
Water
ranu
/ɾanu/
Fire
lahi
/lahi/
Sun
dina
/dina/
Moon
hua
/hua/
Star
hisiu
/hisiu/
Mother
sina
/sina/
Father
tama
/tama/
I
lau
/lau/
You
oi
/oi/
Name
ladana
/laˈdana/
Eye
matana
/matana/
Hand
ima
/ima/
Heart
kudouna
/kudouna/
Love
lalokau
/lalokau/
Tree
au
/au/
House
ruma
/ɾuma/
Dog
sisia
/sisia/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Eat
ania
/ania/
Drink
inua
/inua/
One
ta
/ta/
Two
rua
/rua/
Hello
namona
/namona/
Thank you
tanikiu
/tanikiu/
Good
namo
/namo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | Hiri Motu | Motu | Fijian | Tokelauan | Niuean | Tuvaluan | Puyuma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ranu /ɾanu/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | wai /wai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | vai /vai/ | enay /enai/ |
| Fire | lahi /lahi/ | lahi /lahi/ | buka /mbuka/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | afi /afi/ | apuy /apui/ |
| Sun | dina /dina/ | dina /dina/ | matanisiga /matanisiŋa/ | la /la/ | lā /laː/ | laa /laː/ | kadaw /kadaw/ |
| Moon | hua /hua/ | hua /hua/ | vula /βula/ | malama /malama/ | mahina /mahina/ | masina /masina/ | bulan /buɭan/ |
| Star | hisiu /hisiu/ | hisiu /hisiu/ | kalokalo /kalokalo/ | fetu /fetu/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | fetū /feˈtuː/ | vituwan /vituwan/ |
| Mother | sina /sina/ | sinana /sinana/ | tina /tina/ | mātua /maːtua/ | matua fifine /matua fifine/ | maatua /maːtua/ | ina /ina/ |
| Father | tama /tama/ | tamana /tamana/ | tama /tama/ | tamana /tamana/ | matua taane /matua taːne/ | tamana /tamana/ | ama /ama/ |
| I | lau /lau/ | lau /lau/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | kuiku /kuiku/ |
| You | oi /oi/ | oi /oi/ | iko /iko/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | koe /koe/ | yu /ju/ |
| Name | ladana /laˈdana/ | ladana /ladana/ | yaca /jaða/ | igoa /iŋoa/ | higoa /hiˈŋoa/ | igoa /iˈŋoa/ | ngadan /ŋadan/ |
| Eye | matana /matana/ | matana /matana/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hand | ima /ima/ | ima /ima/ | liga /liŋa/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ |
| Heart | kudouna /kudouna/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | uto /uto/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | fatu /fatu/ | kalumetan /kalumetan/ |
| Love | lalokau /lalokau/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | loloma /loloma/ | alofa /alofa/ | fakaalofa /fakaalofa/ | alofa /alofa/ | ulaw /ulaw/ |
| Tree | au /au/ | au /au/ | kau /kau/ | lakau /lakau/ | akau /akau/ | laakau /laːkau/ | kawi /kawi/ |
| House | ruma /ɾuma/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | vale /βale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | fale /fale/ | ruma /ɾuma/ |
| Dog | sisia /sisia/ | sisia /sisia/ | koli /koli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | kuli /kuli/ | suwan /suwan/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusi /pusi/ | kating /katiŋ/ |
| Eat | ania /ania/ | aniani /aniani/ | kana /kana/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kai /kai/ | kuman /kuman/ |
| Drink | inua /inua/ | inuinu /inuinu/ | gunu /ŋunu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | inu /inu/ | enpa /enpa/ |
| One | ta /ta/ | ta /ta/ | dua /ndua/ | tahi /tahi/ | taha /taha/ | tasi /tasi/ | sa /sa/ |
| Two | rua /rua/ | rua /rua/ | rua /rua/ | lua /lua/ | ua /ua/ | lua /ˈlua/ | zua /ʐua/ |
| Hello | namona /namona/ | namo gida /namo ɡida/ | bula /mbula/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | fakaalofa atu /fakaalofa atu/ | taalofa /taːlofa/ | marayas /maɾajas/ |
| Thank you | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | oi namo /oi namo/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | fakaaue /fakaaue/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | kasapakan /kasapakan/ |
| Good | namo /namo/ | namo /namo/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | lelei /lelei/ | mitaki /mitaki/ | lei /lei/ | mauruway /mauɾuwai/ |
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