How to speak Bislama

Summary

This video offers a brief introduction to Bislama, one of the official languages of Vanuatu, which originated from a pidgin language used by native people working in plantations in the 1800s. It explains basic Bislama phrases, such as 'blong' meaning 'belong to,' and how personal names and possessions are expressed. The video also demonstrates common expressions, such as how to say one's age or ask for help. Instead of using words like 'cool' or 'awesome,' the word 'number one' is used to convey something positive. Viewers also learn how to thank others in Bislama.

Takeaways

• 😊 Introduction to learning ISL (Indigenous Sign Language).
• 🌍 A brief history of Bishlama, a language formed by the native people of Vanuatu while working on plantations.
• 📜 Bishlama is a pidgin language that became one of the official languages of Vanuatu.
• 🗣️ 'Blong' in Bishlama means 'belonging to,' used to indicate possession.
• 👤 Example: 'Sun class blong me' means 'These sunglasses belong to me.'
• 🏠 'House friend' means 'I went to my friend's house.'
• 🙂 The greeting in Bishlama is 'wake up,' similar to saying 'hello' or 'how are you?'
• 🎂 'Hamama year' refers to asking someone's age, like 'how many years do you have?'
• 👫 To ask about siblings, you would say 'hamama sister' or 'hamama brother.'
• 👍 Instead of saying 'cool' or 'awesome,' in Bishlama, they use the term 'number one.'
• 🙏 The word 'toas' means 'thank you' in Bishlama.

Q & A

What is ISL?

ISL stands for 'Interlingua Serian Language', which is a pidgin language developed in Vanuatu.

How was Bishlama formed?

Bishlama was formed in the 1800s when the native people of Anatu worked in plantations and several languages among them created a pigeon language to communicate.

What is the status of Bishlama in Vanuatu?

Bishlama is one of the official languages of Vanuatu.

What does the phrase 'wor long' mean in Bishlama?

In Bishlama, 'wor long' means 'something that belongs to you'.

How do you say 'my name is' in Bishlama?

In Bishlama, you say 'my name is' as 'name blong me'.

What is the Bishlama term for 'house friend'?

In Bishlama, 'house friend' translates to 'house friend', indicating that you and someone else went to your friend's house.

How do you greet someone in Bishlama?

In Bishlama, you greet someone by saying 'hello'.

What does 'wake up' translate to in Bishlama?

In Bishlama, 'wake up' is translated as 'wake up'.

How do you ask about someone's age in Bishlama?

In Bishlama, you ask about someone's age by saying 'you got hamama year'.

What is the Bishlama term for 'sister'?

In Bishlama, 'sister' is referred to as 'you got hamama sister'.

How do you express gratitude in Bishlama?

In Bishlama, you express gratitude by saying 'thank you toas'.