Theiling Online    Sitemap    Conlang Mailing List HQ   

CHAT: various infotaining natlang tidbits

From:Jonathan Chang <zhang2323@...>
Date:Tuesday, June 13, 2000, 17:58
*   Tok Pisin - Papua NiuGini wantok (Neo-Melanesian English, Papua New
Guinea Pidgin English, English-lexifier pidgin [or - as I like to think of it
- one of the most interesting "mutant Englishes around"]):

    Ples bilong yu we?  <Where are you from?>
    Ples bilong mi Amerika <I am from America>
    Wanim kain wok bilong yu? <What's your job?>
    Mi man bilong pilai long stringben <I am a musician>
        Mi man i painimaut ol kainkain save <I am a researcher>
        [OR] Mi no gat wok <I am unemployed>
    Yu bilong wanem lotu? <What's your religion?>
    Mi no gat lotu; Mi lotu nating <I am not religious>
    Mi Dao-pela. <I am Taoist>
        Mi no Kristen <I am not Christian>
    Mi no Kago muvmen-pela. <I am not a Cargo Cult fellow>

*   excerpt from _Khotbah_ <Sermon> a poem by Indonesian poet W.S. Rendra:

    ... Darah itu bong-bong-bong
    Darah hidup bang-bing-bong.
    Darah hidup bersama bang-bing-bong-bong.
    Hidup harus beramai-ramai.
    Darah bergaul dengan darah.
    Bong-bong-bong. Bang-bing-bong. ...

    <<... The blood is bong-bong-bong
    The Blood of life is bang-bing-bong.
    The blood of the common life is bang-bing-bong-bong.
    Life must be lived in a noisy group.
    Blood must mix with blood.
    Bong-bong-bong. Bang-bing-bong. ...>>

    NOTE: in the above poem - in the national language of Indonesia, Bahasa
Indonesia - the "Bong-bong-bong. Bang-bing-bong" etc. are onomatpoetic
imitations of LOUD _gamelan_ music.
    "Life must be lived in a noisy group./Blood must mix with blood." is
alluding to the fact that there are many ethnic groups in Indonesia and that
they need to mix (this poem is nationalistic).