Bislama - the Pidgin English language of Vanuatu

Languages in Vanuatu

Local languages:

• Actively spoken languages: 81

• Declining languages: 17

•   languages: 8

• Total: 106

Bislama:

• It is spoken by 90% of the population today.

• In the past this language was described as .

History of Bislama:

• Around 1800 it was used as a common language on many ships.

• After 1860 Vanuatu people worked in Australian .
• After 1950 people moved to the .

Description of Bislama:

• General:

• Bislama should be called a ‘’ pidgin.

• Vocabulary:

• Most words come from English.

• Words such as ‘from’ may have more  in Bislama.
• Less than 10% of words are of  origin.
• Pacific words describe the natural world and also local .

• Grammar:

• It is based on Vanuatu languages.

• The word ‘long’ acts as an important  in Bislama.