Pijin
English-based creole (Melanesian Pijin)
Pijin is the English-based Melanesian Pijin of the Solomon Islands, sister to Tok Pisin (Papua New Guinea) and Bislama (Vanuatu). The three together form the Melanesian Pijin continuum, sharing a core lexicon and substrate-influenced grammar from the labour-trade era of the 19th century, when Melanesians were recruited to Queensland sugar plantations and brought back a shared pidgin. Pijin is the de facto national language of the Solomon Islands and the lingua franca across its 80+ vernaculars.
Where it is spoken
31 core words in Pijin
Water
wata
/wata/
Fire
faea
/faja/
Sun
san
/san/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Star
sta
/sta/
Mother
mami
/mami/
Father
dadi
/dadi/
I
mi
/mi/
You
iu
/iu/
Name
nem
/nem/
Eye
ae
/ae/
Hand
han
/han/
Heart
hat
/hat/
Love
lavem
/lavem/
Tree
tri
/tri/
House
haos
/haos/
Dog
dogi
/doɡi/
Cat
puskat
/puskat/
Eat
kaikai
/kajkaj/
Drink
dring
/driŋ/
One
wanfala
/wanfala/
Two
tu
/tu/
Hello
halo
/halo/
Thank you
tagio
/taɡio/
Good
gud
/ɡud/
Sources
- SIL Solomon Islands — Pijin Wordlist
- Ethnologue 27: Pijin
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole (Melanesian Pijin) languages
| Meaning | Pijin | Bislama | Torres Strait Creole | Tok Pisin | Krio | Nigerian Pidgin | Sranan Tongo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wata /wata/ | wota /wota/ | woda /woda/ | wara /waɾa/ | wata /ˈwata/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | watra /watra/ |
| Fire | faea /faja/ | faea /faea/ | paya /paja/ | paia /paja/ | faya /ˈfaja/ | faya /faja/ | faya /faja/ |
| Sun | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | sọn /sɔn/ | son /son/ |
| Moon | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ |
| Star | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | stari /ˈstari/ |
| Mother | mami /mami/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | dadi /dadi/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ |
| I | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | ai /ai/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | A /a/ | mi /mi/ |
| You | iu /iu/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | you /ju/ | yu /ju/ |
| Name | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nɛm/ | nem /nɛm/ | nen /nɛn/ |
| Eye | ae /ae/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aj/ | ai /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ai /aɪ/ | ai /ai/ |
| Hand | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | an /an/ | hand /hand/ | anu /anu/ |
| Heart | hat /hat/ | bel /bel/ | hart /hart/ | bel /bel/ | at /at/ | hat /hat/ | ati /ati/ |
| Love | lavem /lavem/ | laekem /laekem/ | lavem /lavɛm/ | laikim /lajkim/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | lọv /lɔv/ | lobi /lobi/ |
| Tree | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | diwai /diwaj/ | tik /tik/ | tri /tɾi/ | bon /boŋ/ |
| House | haos /haos/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ | haus /haʊs/ | os /ɔs/ | haus /haʊs/ | oso /oso/ |
| Dog | dogi /doɡi/ | dog /doɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dok /dok/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dagu /daɡu/ |
| Cat | puskat /puskat/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusiket /pusiket/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | pus /pus/ | poesi /pusi/ |
| Eat | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kakae /kakae/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | it /it/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | nyan /ɲan/ |
| Drink | dring /driŋ/ | dring /driŋ/ | dringk /driŋk/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ | drink /drɪŋk/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | dringi /driŋi/ |
| One | wanfala /wanfala/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ |
| Two | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ |
| Hello | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | wis wei /wis wej/ | halo /halo/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | odi /odi/ |
| Thank you | tagio /taɡio/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | eso /ɛso/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | tenki /tɛnki/ | grantangi /ɡrantaŋi/ |
| Good | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ | gud /ɡud/ | fain /faɪn/ | bun /bun/ |
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