Search for an Australian Bible ~ Any pidgin speakers here?

by unclebruce 6 Replies latest jw friends

  • unclebruce
    unclebruce

    Natives of Papua and New Guinea are highly gifted at language. Many are multilingual to levels unheard of anywhere else in the world. The main language in Papua is Motu, a beautiful poetic language at least as complicated as english.
    JW's in Papua New Guinea used a Pidgin bible and the Watchtower™ magazine was translated into pidgin each week by various people including a fellow Adelaidian Lionel Dingle. As a result of the hardship of translation, Watchtowers™ were often reduced to just several pages. We had to stretch the study but it made preparation™ easy. Lionel for one was proud of how, but cutting out repeated ideas and phrases he could shrink the translation effort remarkably. At the Port Moresby Bethel™ he handed me a double sided printout once and I remember asking “is that it?” lol.

    As a young man I took to Pidgin like a duck to water and thought it was hilarious. Even today I'm tempted to burst into talk about "dispella Jesus long come buggerup dispella sistum" and so on.

    I wish I'd kept that bible. I think they're still available through the Bible Society.

    My first presentation™ in Pidgin English:

    Kissim is the pidgin word for accept and the Awake! magazine was called Kirape! So my first presentation in pidgin went like this:

    A pretty young woman came to the entrance to the hut and I proceeded to offer her the Awake! by asking:
    Upinoon wantok!, you like kissim dispella Kirape!?
    To me it sounded much like "Good afternoon friend, would you like to kiss this fellow corrupt?
    Well she may have thought that because she immediately burst out into fits of laughter.

    unc steps back to let bush-kanaka pioneer partner (Hilari Miri) take over.
    ==
    Unlike Kel Richards clever but very christian "Australian Bible" mentioned in another thread, the pidgin bible has a great deal of character and colorful language reflecting the history of the first German and English traders to venture into the wilds of PNG. Does anyone have access to Awake! And Watchtower magazines in Pidgin? They'd be a great source for warped fun and apostate reflection

    uncle bilong wantok longpella buggerup dispela watchtower spirit (how the memory fades - I won't be called into missionary sevice any time soon)

  • stillajwexelder
    stillajwexelder

    Are women in this bible referred to as Shielas?

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    I have a cookbook in Tok Pisin (wan liklik buk). I think the Pope of Eruke knows the language too. :)

    Yumitupela i savi tok olsem long altogeda...tumas humbuk ating

  • Leolaia
    Leolaia

    I don't know but the usual word for "woman" is meri.

  • unclebruce
    unclebruce

    Thanks Leolaia, yes woman are meri and a feast is a moo moo. feasting with meri moo moos was quite common.

    Not language related: During a the closing prayer in papua a new bro. cracked us up once with "..and Jehovah please forgive us for our falling shorts" (that is the only time I can remember spontaneous laughter bursting out during a prayer.

    Isn't the net cool:

    From the prince's soliloquy on suicide in Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 2):

    English:

    'To be or not to be: That is the question;
    Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
    The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
    Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
    And by opposing end them?

    Pidgin:

    'Which way this time? Me killem die finish body b'long me
    Or me no do 'im? Me no savvy.
    Might 'e better 'long you-me catchem this fella string for throw 'im this fella arrow.
    Altogether b'long number one bad fella, name b'long him fortune? me no savvy.
    Might 'e better 'long you-me. For fightem 'long altogether where him 'e makem you-me sorry too much.
    Bimeby him fall down die finish? me no savvy.'
  • Clam
    Clam

    Very interesting Uncle Bruce,

    I hope you succeed. Please at least try somthing, like the Pidgin version of the sermon on the mount.

    By the way,

    Kissim is the pidgin word for accept and the Awake! magazine was called Kirape!

    How are you pronouncing "Kirape" ?

    If it's how I think, then it would be appropriate to call the magazine that name right across the board.

  • unclebruce
    unclebruce

    LMAO - I never thought of that Clam ..it was pronounced "cirarp" but from now on it's definitly cirap! lol

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