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
31 core words in Torres Strait Creole
Water
woda
/woda/
Fire
paya
/paja/
Sun
san
/san/
Moon
mun
/mun/
Star
sta
/sta/
Mother
mama
/mama/
Father
papa
/papa/
I
ai
/ai/
You
yu
/ju/
Name
nem
/nem/
Eye
ai
/aj/
Hand
han
/han/
Heart
hart
/hart/
Love
lavem
/lavɛm/
Tree
tri
/tri/
House
haus
/haʊs/
Dog
dog
/dɔɡ/
Cat
pusiket
/pusiket/
Eat
kaikai
/kajkaj/
Drink
dringk
/driŋk/
One
wan
/wan/
Two
tu
/tu/
Hello
wis wei
/wis wej/
Thank you
eso
/ɛso/
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 | English (Singapore) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | woda /woda/ | wota /wota/ | wata /wata/ | wara /waɾa/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | wata /ˈwata/ | water /ˈwɔːtə/ |
| Fire | paya /paja/ | faea /faea/ | faea /faja/ | paia /paja/ | faya /faja/ | faya /ˈfaja/ | fire /fajə/ |
| Sun | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | sọn /sɔn/ | san /san/ | sun /san/ |
| Moon | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | moon /muːn/ |
| Star | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ | star /staː/ |
| Mother | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mami /mami/ | mama /mama/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mother /ˈmadə/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | dadi /dadi/ | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | father /ˈfadə/ |
| I | ai /ai/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | A /a/ | mi /mi/ | I /aɪ/ |
| You | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | iu /iu/ | yu /ju/ | you /ju/ | yu /ju/ | you /ju/ |
| Name | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nɛm/ | nem /nɛm/ | name /nem/ |
| Eye | ai /aj/ | ae /ae/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aj/ | ai /aɪ/ | ay /aj/ | eye /aɪ/ |
| Hand | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | hand /hand/ | an /an/ | hand /hɛn/ |
| Heart | hart /hart/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | at /at/ | heart /hat/ |
| Love | lavem /lavɛm/ | laekem /laekem/ | lavem /lavem/ | laikim /lajkim/ | lọv /lɔv/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | love /laf/ |
| Tree | tri /tri/ | 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 /haʊs/ |
| Dog | dog /dɔɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dogi /doɡi/ | dok /dok/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dog /dɔk/ |
| Cat | pusiket /pusiket/ | pusi /pusi/ | puskat /puskat/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | pus /pus/ | cat /kɛt/ |
| Eat | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kakae /kakae/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | it /it/ | eat /iːt/ |
| Drink | dringk /driŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | dring /driŋ/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | drink /drɪŋk/ | drink /dɹɪŋk/ |
| One | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanfala /wanfala/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | one /wan/ |
| Two | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | two /tu/ |
| Hello | wis wei /wis wej/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | hello lah /hɛlo lɑː/ |
| Thank you | eso /ɛso/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | tagio /taɡio/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ | tenki /tɛnki/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | thanks /tɛŋks/ |
| Good | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ | fain /faɪn/ | gud /ɡud/ | good /ɡʊt/ |
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