Yumplatok
Torres Strait Creole
English-based creole (Pacific, Melanesian Pijin family)
Torres Strait Creole (Yumplatok, also known as Brokan or Broken English) is an English-based creole spoken across the Torres Strait Islands between Australia and Papua New Guinea, plus the diaspora in north Queensland mainland (Cairns, Townsville). It emerged in the 19th-century Pacific Islander labour trade and pearl-shelling industry, sharing substrate features with Tok Pisin (tpi) and Bislama as part of the Melanesian Pijin family but with distinct Australian and Eastern Torres Strait (Meriam Mir) Papuan substrate influences. The community name "Yumplatok" ("you+me+altogether+talk") reflects its inclusive identity. Recognized as a separate language by Australian Indigenous Language frameworks since the 1980s.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Torres Strait Creole
Water
woda
/woda/
Fire
paya
/paja/
Sun
san
/san/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
papa
/papa/
Eat
kaikai
/kajkaj/
Drink
dringk
/dʒɾiŋk/
Love
lavem
/lavɛm/
Heart
hart
/hart/
Tree
tri
/tʃɾi/
House
haus
/haʊs/
Dog
dog
/dɔɡ/
Cat
pusiket
/pusiket/
Hand
han
/han/
Eye
ai
/aj/
Hello
wis wei
/wis wej/
Thank you
eso
/ɛso/
One
wan
/wan/
Good
gud
/ɡud/
Sources
Words compared
Compared with related English-based creole (Pacific, Melanesian Pijin family) languages
| Meaning | Torres Strait Creole | Bislama | Pijin | Tok Pisin | Nigerian Pidgin | Krio | Bahamian Creole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | woda /woda/ | wota /wota/ | wata /wata/ | wara /waɾa/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | wata /ˈwata/ | watah /wɑːtə/ |
| Fire | paya /paja/ | faea /faea/ | faea /faja/ | 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 | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mami /mami/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mama /mama/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | dadi /dadi/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | daddy /dadi/ |
| Eat | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kakae /kakae/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | it /it/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | dringk /dʒɾiŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | dring /driŋ/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | drink /drɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ |
| Love | lavem /lavɛm/ | laekem /laekem/ | lavem /lavem/ | laikim /lajkim/ | lọv /lɔv/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | love /lɔv/ |
| Heart | hart /hart/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | at /at/ | hart /hɑːt/ |
| Tree | tri /tʃɾi/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | diwai /diwaj/ | tri /tɾi/ | tik /tik/ | tree /tɹiː/ |
| House | haus /haʊs/ | haos /haos/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haʊs/ | haus /haʊs/ | os /ɔs/ | house /haus/ |
| Dog | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dogi /doɡi/ | dok /dok/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dawg /dɔɡ/ |
| Cat | pusiket /pusiket/ | pusi /pusi/ | puskat /puskat/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | pus /pus/ | cat /kat/ |
| Hand | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | hand /hand/ | an /an/ | han /han/ |
| Eye | ai /aj/ | ae /ae/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aj/ | ai /aɪ/ | ay /aj/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Hello | wis wei /wis wej/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | wuhz hapnin /wʊz hapnɪn/ |
| Thank you | eso /ɛso/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | tagio /taɡio/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ | tanx /taŋks/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | tank ya /taŋk jə/ |
| One | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanfala /wanfala/ | 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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