Keith Jackson & Friends: PNG Attitude 02 October 2022 At first as I began to learn Pidgin, I thought, ‘This is easy. It’s a form of baby talk and there’s nothing to it’. I could not have been more mistaken DORIAN (DUSTY) NICOL| Unravel | Edited CALIFORNIA – I arrived in Papua New Guinea in September 1980,Continue reading “Learning Tok Pisin: it’s harder than it looks“
Category Archives: Language & linguistics
PNG students turn to TikTok to breathe new life into native tongue as country’s traditional languages die out
By Hilda Wayne and Jordan Fennell – Pacific Beat on ABC News Papua New Guinea is home to more than 850 native languages that are said to be dying with each generation. But two university students are working to change that. Emily Papa and Lisamarie Wia, both in their final year of study at the University of PNG,Continue reading “PNG students turn to TikTok to breathe new life into native tongue as country’s traditional languages die out”
Young Papua New Guineans use Tik Tok to teach and preserve their language
By Hilda Wayne, Jordan Fennell on Pacific Beat – ABC News Social media is often blamed for eroding traditional culture but two sisters, Lisa Marie and Emma Papa, are flipping the script. They’re using Tik Tok to teach their native Enga dialect and have found that people are excited to learn. “We’re starting off withContinue reading “Young Papua New Guineans use Tik Tok to teach and preserve their language”
Diving unclothed into a literary venevetaka
BAKA BINA – posted on PNG Attitude Blog PORT MORESBY – Reading Dr Michael Dom’s essays, ‘Vernacular Traces in the Crocodile Prize’, published in Tok Pisin and English in PNG Attitude and Ples Singsing, made me wonder if Tok Pisin or even a Tok Ples can be used in literature. For many years, Tok PisinContinue reading “Diving unclothed into a literary venevetaka”
Painim liklik mak bilong tokples long Crocodile Prize: (5) Ating kastam pasim maus bilong yumi
“Vernacular traces in the Crocodile Prize” An essay in five parts BY MICHAEL DOM WITH ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS BY ED BRUMBY Tanim tok i hetipen wok tu na ating ino olgeta raita man-meri bai igat laikim na save bilong raitim. Ol tokples bilong yumi inogatim alfabet, grama na ol rul bilong raitim olsem Tok Inglis, naContinue reading “Painim liklik mak bilong tokples long Crocodile Prize: (5) Ating kastam pasim maus bilong yumi”
Hiri hanenamo ena koe
A primaquatrain triad BY MICHAEL DOM WITH HIRI MOTU TRANSLATION BY CLIFTON AND RUTH GWABU Hiri Hanenamo ena koe Eh, Hiri Hanenamo Huimu latana namo hereana Ese matagu eme paia Bona kudougu eme hamarerea emu koe ramina odaveamu na heto Name gini niu laini gabanai Bena gaba regena name kamonaia mirigini ena to ai TohContinue reading “Hiri hanenamo ena koe”
Making a dictionary for your own language
CRAIG ALAN VOLKER| Edited & updated, Keith Jackson & Friends: PNG Attitude, 22 January 2022 First published in The National, February 2018 PORT MORESBY – All of us probably remember dictionaries from when we were at school. They had a long list of English words and explained them in English. This is a monolingual dictionary. WordsContinue reading “Making a dictionary for your own language“
Michelle Rooney short-listed for book award
By KEITH JACKSON – posted on PNG Attitude Blog MELBOURNE – Michelle Nayahamui Rooney – a dual Papua New Guinea-Australia citizen of Manus heritage – is one of 10 shortlisted writers in contention for the 2022 Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship. The annual award is given by Writers Victoria to an Australian writer for a proposedContinue reading “Michelle Rooney short-listed for book award”
The taxing art of translation
By BAKA BINA – PNG Aittitude blog PORT MORESBY – I recently submitted a short story of mine to the Commonwealth Writers competition. It was written in Tok Pisin and I had translated it into English. Ino long taim igo pinis, mi salim wanpela hap stori igo long Komonwelt Raitin Resis long ples bilong MisisContinue reading “The taxing art of translation”
Tok Pisin: A language on history’s march
By CHRIS OVERLAND – PNG Attitude Blog ADELAIDE – The article by Baka Bina, ‘The Taxing Art of Translation’, has recently stimulated much comment and discussion in PNG Attitude. Accomplished writers like Michael Dom, Daniel Kumbon, Phil Fitzpatrick and others have offered their own insights and perspectives on the problems inherent in translating Tok Pisin intoContinue reading “Tok Pisin: A language on history’s march”
Ples Singsing - A PNG Writer's Blog 