“Pidgin”

Arguments Against its Official Recognition

Letter to the Editor rfIHE article in your May issue, voicing X Mr. H. Fitzroy’s objection, agreed to by the Hon. Leonard Murray, to the use of Pidgin, opens up a subject which should be given wider thought.

Pride in our own language should pre vent us from speaking other than correct English to a native, and that only till such time as it is possible to speak to a native in his own language. This would not take long if a period each day was set apart for earnest study of the native language concerned.

With Pidgin, all the finer degrees and definitions of a language are lost and, whether working natives or dealing with them in an official capacity, it is an im possibility to get the best out of them without a knowledge of their language.

A European who can talk intelligently to a native gets work done quicker and bet ter. saves his temper, and does not punish natives for making mistakes which are

really caused by his own vague, slovenly orders. One can only expect Pidgin- English work from Pidgin-English orders.

Although an ardent admirer of Sir Hubert Murray’s administration in Papua.

I often used to wonder why the A.R.M.s were not compelled to take a greater in terest in native languages. I remember sitting in one of the Courts in Papua, many times, listening to native cases be ing tried, the evidence being taken through the Court interpreter. In nearly every case, the interpreter would lie, twisting the evidence to suit his own ends, much to his profit and prestige. The first time, I was misguided enough to inter ject and correctly interpret the evidence, with the result that I was snubbed, so thereafter I sat in silence, enjoying the farce.

It is only fair to say that this was 20 years ago and the interpreter was that unmitigated scoundrel who figured so prominently in the murder case at the Port Moresby native prison last year. But it shows how ignorance of the native language can cause injustice to all.

I never allowed natives to speak Eng lish to me, feeling that such a practice would put them on a footing of familiar ity which should always be avoided, and many a cause of trouble on the plantation was anticipated and prevented by hear ing and understanding the talk and the songs of the labourers.

Had greater care been exercised in the past, as to the English spoken to natives, we would not have an expression, which here in Sydney would be regarded as swearing, used as an everyday word in the working, domestic and official Pidgin of Papua. I refer to the expression de noting “spoilt”, “destroyed”.

It is wrong to say that “the Papuan cannot explain emotion”, because his ex planation differs from our own accepted ideas. As correctly quoted in your article, he would describe “pity” in Pidgin as “Belly belong me too much sore”;.but if he wished to express the same emotion of pity or sympathy in his own language he would still use the same phrase: “Boka hisihisi oi dekena”—literally.

“Stomach sore you with”.

Actually, his way of saying, “My heart aches for you”, is quite correct; for the Papuan, in common with the majority of Pacific Islanders, believes that the seat of all emotions is in the stomach and not as we believe in the heart. Tire fact that some of the emotions, noticeably fear and excessive hilarity, affect the stomach may account for this belief. In this respect, it is interesting to note that, although several forms of suicide exist in Japan, a Japanese soldier, if dishonoured, will take his life by placing the point of his sword on his stomach and then with the hilt on the ground, falling on it.

In conclusion: In my opinion, English spoken by a native is just as inimical to his character as wearing English clothes is to his health I am etc..

A. A Roger.

Mosman. Sydney, 15 7 1939 Rev. G. Stuerzenhofecker, a pioneer Lutheran missionary who served for 35 years in New Guinea, has retired and left the Territory for Germany, where he will reside ‘in future. He was station ed first at Finschhafen in 1904: later es tablished the Mission’s Malahang plan tation near Lae; and for the past 15 years had charge of the station at Gab mazung.