Papua Niugini Tok Pisin Wik - Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin Language Week 2024
Aotearoa is the only country in the world where we celebrate the languages and cultures of our Pasifika and Melanesian cousins. In 2024, Papua Niugini Tok Pisin is having its first ever Language Week!
Halo olgeta! Kia ora everyone!
This year, for the very first time, 10–16 November is Papua Niugini Tok Pisin Language Week! The official Language of Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The 2024 theme for Papua New Guinea Pidgin Language Week is:
Lukautim, strongim na kirapim tokples na pasin blo tubuna.
Preserve, revitalise and promote our language and culture.
In New Zealand we celebrate the languages and cultures of our Pasifika and Melanesian cousins with annual Language Weeks. Papua Niugini Tok Pisin, the language of Papua New Guinea, alongside Aelan Pijin, the language of the Solomon Islands, are having their first ever Language Weeks this year in 2024!
Melanesian communities are really excited to share and celebrate their culture with more Kiwis across the country. Over 800 Solomon Islanders and approximately 1,200 Papua New Guinean people call our shores home, with both groups growing fast and many more people being born in New Zealand.
The Ministry for Pacific Peoples provides great resources and information about our Pasifika languages and cultural events. Visit the page for Papua Niugini Tok Pisin Language Week for Tok Pisin resources and information.
Where is Papua New Guinea you ask?
Image credit: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Papua New Guinea is an island country about the same size as Aotearoa New Zealand. It’s just north of Australia, on the eastern half of the island of New Guinea. (West Papua, the other half of the island, is a province colonised by Indonesia, in the 1960s).
Amazing number facts about PNG
- As well as the mainland of New Guinea, there are about 600 smaller islands that make up PNG
- There are over 700 different ethnic groups! Papuans live on the big island of New Guinea. Melanesians mostly live near the coasts and on the smaller islands.
- There are over 839 living languages! This is the highest number of languages in any country in the whole world! Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu, English and PNG Sign Language are the main ones.
- 4.5 million people speak Tok Pisin, in a country of around 9 million people.
Why are there so many languages?
- Over 80% of the population of Papua New Guinea lives in rural areas and has minimal contact with external influences. There are a lot of communities who live in the Highlands far away from others.
- PNG was also colonised by many different countries, at different times, so different languages were mixed together and created new ones.
- The word tok is derived from the English ‘talk’, but has a wider application in Tok Pisin, also meaning ‘word’, ‘speech’ or ‘language’. Pisin comes from the English word ‘pidgin’.
Papua New Guinea is known for its incredible art and music.
At Waitohi | Johnsonville Library there will be a display of special artefacts; Bilium’s ( string bags) tapa, Sepik shields and claypots.
Famous Papuan New Guineans musicians :
- Rapper Vallé was born in PNG and raised in Ōtautahi, Christchurch.
- George Telek MBE ( known as Telek) is one of PNG’s most famous musicians who won an ARIA for his 1997 album.
- Recently Paul Wolffram, photographer and activist, and community worker Evelyn Kunda had an exhibition at Pātaka museum in Porirua. Evelyn Kunda also featured in a film.
Here are some key phrases in Tok Pisin:
- Halo | Hello/ greetings.
- Yu stap orait | How are you?
- Mi orait tenkyu | I am alright, thank you.
- Plis | Please
- Tenkyu | Thank you
- Sori/ sore | Sorry
- Nem blo mi em | My name is…
Why not use these phrases during Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin Language Week?