Also Known As: Police Motu,Hiri,Pidgin Motu
Description:
Hiri Motu, (also known as Police Motu or Pidgin Motu) is an official language of Papua New Guinea. It is a pidgin based primarily on Motu; phonological and grammatical differences mean that Hiri Motu speakers cannot understand Motu, though the languages are lexically very similar.
It has two dialects, called Austronesian and Papuan. Both dialects are of course Austronesian in both grammar and vocabulary due to their original derivation − the dialect names refer to the "first languages" spoken by users of this lingua franca. The Papuan dialect (also called "Non-central") was in the language's heyday much more widely spoken, and was used as the standard for official publications, but the Austronesian (or "Central") dialect is closer to Motu in grammar and phonology, and its vocabulary is both more extensive, and also closer to the "original" language. It tended, for this reason, to have a much higher status, and was regarded by almost all speakers as more "correct".
The language has a history long pre-dating European contact; it was originally used by participants in the Hiri trade cycle (principally in sago and clay pots) between the Motu people and their neighbours on the south..... full article at Wikipedia |