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
20 core words in Pijin
Water
wata
/wata/
Fire
faea
/faja/
Sun
san
/san/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Mother
mami
/mami/
Father
dadi
/dadi/
Eat
kaikai
/kajkaj/
Drink
dring
/driŋ/
Love
lavem
/lavem/
Heart
hat
/hat/
Tree
tri
/tri/
House
haos
/haos/
Dog
dogi
/doɡi/
Cat
puskat
/puskat/
Hand
han
/han/
Eye
ae
/ae/
Hello
halo
/halo/
Thank you
tagio
/taɡio/
One
wanfala
/wanfala/
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 | Nigerian Pidgin | Krio | Bahamian Creole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | wata /wata/ | wota /wota/ | woda /woda/ | wara /waɾa/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | wata /ˈwata/ | watah /wɑːtə/ |
| Fire | faea /faja/ | faea /faea/ | paya /paja/ | paia /paja/ | faya /faja/ | faya /ˈfaja/ | fyah /fajə/ |
| Sun | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | sọn /sɔn/ | san /san/ | son /sɔn/ |
| Moon | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Mother | mami /mami/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | dadi /dadi/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | daddy /dadi/ |
| Eat | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kakae /kakae/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | it /it/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | dring /driŋ/ | dring /driŋ/ | dringk /dʒɾiŋk/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | drink /drɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ |
| Love | lavem /lavem/ | laekem /laekem/ | lavem /lavɛm/ | laikim /lajkim/ | lọv /lɔv/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | love /lɔv/ |
| Heart | hat /hat/ | bel /bel/ | hart /hart/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | at /at/ | hart /hɑːt/ |
| Tree | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tʃɾi/ | diwai /diwaj/ | tri /tɾi/ | tik /tik/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| House | haos /haos/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ | haus /haʊs/ | haus /haʊs/ | os /ɔs/ | house /haus/ |
| Dog | dogi /doɡi/ | dog /doɡ/ | dog /dɔɡ/ | dok /dok/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dawg /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | puskat /puskat/ | pusi /pusi/ | pusiket /pusiket/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | pus /pus/ | cat /kat/ |
| Hand | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | hand /hand/ | an /an/ | han /han/ |
| Eye | ae /ae/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aj/ | ai /aj/ | ai /aɪ/ | ay /aj/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Hello | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | wis wei /wis wej/ | halo /halo/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | wuhz hapnin /wʊz hapnɪn/ |
| Thank you | tagio /taɡio/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | eso /ɛso/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ | tanx /taŋks/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | tank ya /taŋk jə/ |
| One | wanfala /wanfala/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | one /wan/ |
| Good | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ | fain /faɪn/ | gud /ɡud/ | good /ɡʊd/ |
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