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
20 core words in Hiri Motu
Water
ranu
/ɾanu/
Fire
lahi
/lahi/
Sun
dina
/dina/
Moon
hua
/hua/
Mother
sina
/sina/
Father
tama
/tama/
Eat
ania
/ania/
Drink
inua
/inua/
Love
lalokau
/lalokau/
Heart
kudouna
/kudouna/
Tree
au
/au/
House
ruma
/ɾuma/
Dog
sisia
/sisia/
Cat
pusi
/pusi/
Hand
imana
/imana/
Eye
matana
/matana/
Hello
namona
/namona/
Thank you
tanikiu
/tanikiu/
One
ta
/ta/
Good
namo
/namo/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian languages
| Meaning | Hiri Motu | Motu | Fijian | Puyuma | Tokelauan | Toba Batak | Samoan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ranu /ɾanu/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | wai /wai/ | enay /enai/ | vai /vai/ | aek /aek/ | vai /vai/ |
| Fire | lahi /lahi/ | lahi /lahi/ | buka /mbuka/ | apuy /apui/ | afi /afi/ | api /api/ | afi /afi/ |
| Sun | dina /dina/ | dina /dina/ | siga /siŋa/ | kadaw /kadaw/ | la /la/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ | lā /laː/ |
| Moon | hua /hua/ | hua /hua/ | vula /βula/ | kuwalan /kuwalan/ | malama /malama/ | bulan /bulan/ | māsina /maːsina/ |
| Mother | sina /sina/ | sinana /sinana/ | tina /tina/ | ina /ina/ | matua /matua/ | ina /ina/ | tinā /tinaː/ |
| Father | tama /tama/ | tamana /tamana/ | tama /tama/ | ama /ama/ | tamana /tamana/ | ama /ama/ | tamā /tamaː/ |
| Eat | ania /ania/ | aniani /aniani/ | kana /kana/ | kuman /kuman/ | kai /kai/ | mangan /maŋan/ | ʻai /ʔai/ |
| Drink | inua /inua/ | inuinu /inuinu/ | gunu /ŋunu/ | enpa /enpa/ | inu /inu/ | minum /minum/ | inu /inu/ |
| Love | lalokau /lalokau/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | loloma /loloma/ | ulaw /ulaw/ | alofa /alofa/ | holong /holoŋ/ | alofa /alofa/ |
| Heart | kudouna /kudouna/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | uto /uto/ | kalumetan /kalumetan/ | fatu /fatu/ | roha /roha/ | loto /loto/ |
| Tree | au /au/ | au /au/ | kau /kau/ | kawi /kawi/ | lakau /lakau/ | hau /hau/ | laʻau /laʔau/ |
| House | ruma /ɾuma/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | vale /βale/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | fale /fale/ | jabu /dʒabu/ | fale /fale/ |
| Dog | sisia /sisia/ | sisia /sisia/ | koli /koli/ | suwan /suwan/ | kuli /kuli/ | biang /biaŋ/ | maile /maile/ |
| Cat | pusi /pusi/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | pusi /pusi/ | kating /katiŋ/ | pusi /pusi/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | pusi /pusi/ |
| Hand | imana /imana/ | imana /imana/ | liga /liŋa/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | tangan /taŋan/ | lima /lima/ |
| Eye | matana /matana/ | matana /matana/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ |
| Hello | namona /namona/ | namo gida /namo ɡida/ | bula /mbula/ | marayas /maɾajas/ | malo ni /malo ni/ | horas /horas/ | talofa /talofa/ |
| Thank you | tanikiu /tanikiu/ | oi namo /oi namo/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | kasapakan /kasapakan/ | fakafetai /fakafetai/ | mauliate /mauliate/ | faʻafetai /faʔafetai/ |
| One | ta /ta/ | ta /ta/ | dua /ndua/ | sa /sa/ | tahi /tahi/ | sada /sada/ | tasi /tasi/ |
| Good | namo /namo/ | namo /namo/ | vinaka /βinaka/ | mauruway /mauɾuwai/ | lelei /lelei/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ | lelei /lelei/ |
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