Useful phrases in Apma language
The language of Central Pentecost Island, Vanuatu
It's easy to spend time in Central Pentecost without picking up a word of the local language. The majority of people there also know Bislama (pidgin English), which is a far easier language to learn, and some also speak English or French. However, if you are planning on travelling or working on Pentecost, the local people will appreciate it enormously if you make an effort to learn just a few words and phrases of their native language.
Here are some of the basics...
Introduction
Apma is one of Vanuatu's most widely-spoken indigenous languages. It is the native language of about half of Pentecost's population (a few thousand people), and is understood by many speakers of neighbouring languages.
Apma is spoken on both western and eastern sides of Pentecost, from around Namaram in the north down to around Ranmawot in the south. (The villagers living south of Melsisi originally spoke a different native language, Sowa, but this has now been almost entirely displaced by Apma.) There are also pockets of Apma speakers in other areas of Vanuatu, such as Unmet on Malekula and the Freswota district of Port Vila, as a result of emigration from Pentecost.
There are two main dialects of Apma. Suru Mwerani is spoken to the south of Bwatnapne, and Suru Rabwanga is spoken further north. A third dialect, Suru Kavian,is spoken in a few villages in the far north of Apma's range and is extremely different from the other two dialects. The words and phrases below are in Suru Mwerani, but ought to be understood by any Apma speaker.
Pronunciation
The spellings below are based on those used by linguist Cindy Schneider, and roughly follow the spelling conventions of Bislama. The sounds of Apma language are fairly straightforward for English speakers, but here are a few minor differences to bear in mind...
- e sounds like the 'ay' in 'bay', i sounds like the 'ee' in 'feet', and u sounds like the 'oo' in 'moon'. For example, ibe ("where") is pronounced like "eBay".
- Double vowels (aa, ee, ii, oo, uu) are pronounced longer than single ones.
- ts is often pronounced like 'ch'.
- v is a sound made with both lips, not quite the same as in English, although people will understand if you use the English sound.
- The 'w' in bw and mw is subtle.
In small letters underneath each item below I've written the pronunciation of the word or phrase as it most commonly sounds to me, a British English speaker. (I've deliberately moved a couple of the boundaries between syllables to make the pronunciations easier for English speakers - who, for example, don't begin words with ng.) These pronunciations are only approximate, and there are variations.
Basics
| Tsuubung mwamak [choo-boong ma-maak] |
Good morning |
| Ren mwamak [ren ma-maak] |
Good day |
| Bung mwamak [boong ma-maak] |
Good evening / Good night |
| Mak oh! [maak oh] |
(A shortened form of the above greetings) |
| Kobiah [buubuu] [koh-bee-a boo-boo] (say Kaabiah to a group of people) |
Thank you [very much] |
| Te gabis [tay ga-bees] |
That's fine |
| Na mwaililngi [na mai-ling-ee] |
I know |
| Nat ba ilingi nga [nat bai-ling-eeng-a] |
I don't know |
| Nam rong dihi [nam rong dee-ee] |
I understand |
| Nat ba rong dihi nga [nat ba rong-dee-eeng-a] |
I don't understand (The most important phrase to know!) |
Introducing yourself
| Ham ah itan? [haam aah ee-tan] |
What's your name? |
| Hak ah... [haak aah...] |
My name is... |
| Nom sika kavih? [nom see-kaa ka-vweeh] |
How old are you? |
| Sika... [see-kaa...] |
... years |
| Kik atsi at ibe? [keek at-see at ee-bay] |
Where are you from? |
| Nana atsi at England [na-na at-see at England] |
I'm from England |
Numbers
| Bwaleh [bwa-leh] |
One |
| Karu [ka-roo] |
Two |
| Katsil [kat-seel] |
Three |
| Kavet [ka-vwet] |
Four |
| Kalim [ka-leem] |
Five |
| Labwaleh [la-bwa-leh] |
Six |
| Laviru [la-vwee-roo] |
Seven |
| Laptsil [lap-tseel] |
Eight |
| Lapet [la-pet] |
Nine |
| Sangwul [sang-wool] |
Ten |
Because large numbers are quite cumbersome in Apma, speakers of the language generally say numbers larger than ten in Bislama/English.
Questions
| Apma? [ap-ma?] |
What? |
| Ibe? [ee-bay?] |
Where? |
| Itan? [ee-tan?] |
Who? |
| Nangih? [nang-eeh?] |
When? |
| Kavih? [ka-vweeh?] |
How many? / How much? |
People
| Atsi [at-see] |
Person |
| Dalmwa [dal-ma] |
Man / boy |
| Havin [ha-vween] |
Woman / girl |
| Haavak [haa-vwak] |
Child |
| Haavak nii [haa-vwak nee] |
Children |
| Tuturan [too-too-ran] |
White person (Tourists will hear small children shouting this a lot) |
| Subu [soo-boo] |
Chief |
The way in which Melanesians refer to members of their family does not always correspond to their actual position in the family tree. Members of older generations are often addressed as aunts, uncles or grandparents regardless of their actual relationship to the speaker. A person's "mother" may turn out on closer investigation to be an aunt, a "father" may be an uncle, and the terms "brother" or "sister" are frequently used for cousins or close friends. (In Bislama/English, ask if somebody is a "straight" relative if you want to establish the person's actual position in the family.)
Most of the family terms below (and various other nouns in Apma) change their endings depending on whom they belong to. The most common endings are -k (my), -m (your) and -n (his/her/its). So, for example, matsiak means "my uncle", matsiam means "your uncle", and matsian means "his/her uncle".
| Temak [tay-maak] |
[My] father |
| Datsik [dat-cheek] |
[My] mother |
| Matsiak [mat-see-aak] |
[My] uncle |
| Wawa [waa-waa] |
Aunt |
| Tsibik [chee-beek] |
[My] grandparent |
| Kiisak [kee-sak] |
[My] brother (of a male) / sister (of a female) |
| Hotsik [hot-cheek] |
[My] brother (of a female) / sister (of a male) |
| Hoak [ho-ak] |
[My] husband |
| Atleimwak [at-ley-mwaak] |
[My] wife |
| Nutsuk [noot-sook] |
[My] son/daughter |
Household items
| Kanleutan [kan-lay-oo-tan] |
Food |
| Kul [kool] |
Coconut |
| Bwet [bwet] |
Taro |
| Dam [dam] |
Yam |
| Is [ees] |
Banana |
| Lok [lok] |
Laplap (vegetable pudding) |
| Bo [bo] |
Pig |
| Mwateete [ma-tay-tay] |
Chicken |
| Ik [eek] |
Fish |
| Kuli [koo-lee] |
Dog |
| Sileng [see-leng] |
Water |
| Sini [see-nee] |
Kava |
| Watang [wa-tang] |
Basket |
| Bu [boo] |
Knife |
Places
| Ut [oot] |
Place |
| Vini nak [vwi-nee naak] |
My village/home |
| Vini nam [vwi-nee naam] |
Your village/home |
| Val [vwal] |
House / building |
| Kamel [ka-mel] |
Nakamal (meeting house) |
| Lekoo [le-ko] |
Garden |
| Hal [hal] |
Road / path |
| Teh [tayh] |
Sea |
Dates
| Mwerani / Niaha [mwe-ra-nee / nee-a-haa] |
Today |
| Nanip [na-neep] |
Yesterday |
| Vangren [vang-ren] |
Tomorrow |
| Ren [ren] |
Day |
| Tsuubung [choo-boong] |
Morning |
| Bung [boong] |
Evening / night |
| Wul [wool] |
Month / moon |
| Sika / Dam [see-ka / dam] |
Year |
Out and about
| Kom leli apma? [kohm le-lee ap-ma?] |
What are you doing? |
| Ko ban ibe? [koh ban ee-bay?] |
Where are you going? (One of the most widely-used phrases) |
| Nam sak... [nam sak...] |
I'm going up to... |
| Nam sib... [nam seep...] |
I'm going down to... |
| Ko tepma ibe? [koh tep-ma ee-bay?] |
Where have you come from? |
| Na tebma... [na tep-ma...] |
I've come from... |
| Nat sama... [nat sa-ma...] |
I've come up from... |
| Nat sipma... [nat seep-ma] |
I've come down from... |
| Na mul [na mool] |
I'm going back |
| Nan mulma [nan mool-ma] |
I'll come back |
Be aware that in the local mindset, going northwards is "down" and going southwards is "up".
Shopping
| Nam doni... [nam daw-nee...] |
I would like... |
| Na bariak... [na ba-ree-ak...] |
I don't want... |
| Mwidi [mwi-dee] |
It exists / It's here |
| Tewep [tay-wep] |
A little |
| Te bulong [tay boo-long] |
It doesn't exist / There isn't any (A very commonly-heard phrase!) |
| Te nok [tay nok] |
It's finished / There's none left (Also very common) |
| Gel nan kavih? [gel nan ka-vweeh?] |
What's the price? |
At the nakamal
| Ko temnite lah kavih? [koh tem-nee-tay lah ka-vweeh?] |
How many shells have you drunk? |
| Na temnite... [na tem-nee-tay] |
I have drunk... |
| Na nemni... [na nem-nee] |
I will drink... |
| Lah... [lah...] |
...shells |
| Nam gamin mwetakte [nam ga-meen mwe-taak-tay] |
I'll just drink another |
| Mam sini [mam see-nee] |
[Come and drink] your kava |
| Semwa sini [se-mwa see-nee] |
Makas (kava that's been ground a second time) |
| Sini mwatkol [see-nee mat-kol] |
The kava is strong |
| Na mebe si teweb [na me-bay see tay-wep] |
I'll wait a while, if that's OK |
| Nat nok [nat nok] |
I've finished |
| Sini mwahi kik? [see-nee maa-hee keek?] |
Is the kava affecting you? |
| Temis nokok [tay-mees noh-kok] |
I'm tired |
| Nama vinet si [na-ma vwee-net see] |
I'm going home now |
| Kobiah uu sini [koh-bee-a oo see-nee] |
Thank you for the kava |
Weather
| Taawun ut mwodok [taa-woon oot mo-dok] |
The place is hot |
| Al mwisisin [al mwi-see-seen] |
The sun is shining |
| Muus [moos] |
It's raining |
Actions
Instructions (given to one person) are preceded with the word ko ("you").
| Kopma dokah [kop-maa dok-ah] |
[You] come here |
| Ko sama le val [koh sa-ma le vwal] |
[You] come in |
| Ko sadok tavan [koh saa-dok taa-vwan] |
[You] sit down |
| Ko dumre [koh doom-ray] |
[You] get up |
| Ko ban ne... [koh ban ne...] |
[You] go and... |
| Ko mebe [ko me-bay] |
[You] rest |
| Ko li [koh lee] |
[You] take [it] |
| Koskani [kos-ka-nee] |
[You] give [it] |
Acknowledgements – many thanks to linguist Cindy Schneider, and to countless villagers on Pentecost, for their efforts to help me learn the basics of Apma language.
The Languages of Pentecost Island - a project to catalogue all eight of them