MUSIC OF TOK PISIN

All learning strengthens family

Tok Pisin has a rhythmic beauty of its own. All languages are based on weak and strong stress. That is all that the human body can do. So too Tok Pisin has waek and strong stress.

The Romance languages of Europe are French, English, Spanish and Italian. That is because all were once provinces of the Roman Empire and under the influence of latin.

Take the English word "Captain". The Spanish added a vowel and weak stress to make it Kapitain. The Italians added two vowels to make it Kapitano.

Pacific languages do the same. In Tok Pisin "dance" becomes "dans" which ends up with an extra vowel to make it "danis" So too with the word "akis" that comes from the "axe".

In the Solomon Islands, the word "self" becomes "seleva" with addition of two vowels. Solomon Islands "kaontri blong mifala seleva". In Tok Pisin "kantri bilong yumi yet".

Take the English word "fence" which was pronounced "fans" in the South Pacific but spelt "banis" in Papua New Guinea. So too the word "flash" as in flash clothes. In Vanuatu it becomes "flas". In PNG, it becomes "bilas".

All Tok Pisin words and sentences are based on weak strong. This gives Tok Pisin a special poetry. That is why the students at Pt Cook regularly chanted patterns. They will not forget these until the day they die.