Prince Charles in Papua New Guinea: how to speak pidgin English like a royal

The 'nambawan pikinini bilong Mises Kwin' spoke the local creole language as he and the Duchess of Cornwall began a tour to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee year. Here's a vocabulary lesson for beginners

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were given a warm welcome on Saturday as they arrived in Papua New Guinea to begin a two-week Antipodean tour to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Prince of Wales spoke in the local language called Tok Pisin as he introduced himself as the "nambawan pikinini bilong Misis Kwin" – the number one child belonging to Mrs Queen. Similarly, when the Duke of Edinburgh visits he is addressed as "oldfella Pili-Pili him bilong Misis Kwin".

Tok Pisin is a creole language and is the most widely spoken in Papua New Guinea with between one and two million exposed to it as a first language. Tok is derived from the English word talk and Pisin from pidgin. Much of its vocabulary has a charm of its own, as the following testify:

liklik box you pull him he cry you push him he cry – an accordion

bigfella iron walking stick him go bang along topside – a rifle

skru bilong han (screw belong arm) – elbow

gras bilong het (grass belong head) – hair

maus gras (mouth grass) – moustache

gras bilong fes (grass belong face) – beard

bel hevi (belly heavy) – the heavy sinking feeling that often accompanies extreme sadness

magimiks bilong Yesus (Magimix belong Jesus) – helicopter

pen bilong maus (pen belong mouth) – lipstick

bun nating (bone nothing) – a very thin person

tit i gat windua bilong em (teeth have window belong him) – a broken-off tooth

sikispela lek (six legs) – man with two wives

susok man (shoe sock man) – urbanite

frok-bel (frog belly) – obese person

pato-lek (duck legs) – waddling person

emti tin (empty tin) – person who speaks nonsense

flat taia (flat tire) – exhausted person

smok balus (smoke bird) – jet airplane

poket bruk (pocket broken) – out of money

bagarap (bugger up) – broken, to break down

haus moni (house money) – bank

haus sik (house sick) – hospital

belhat (belly hot) – angry
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References:

de Boinod, Adam Jacot. 2012. “Prince Charles in Papua New Guinea: how to speak pidgin English like a royal”. The Guardian. Posted: November 5, 2012. Available online: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/shortcuts/2012/nov/05/prince-charles-papua-new-guinea