Motu language
Quick Summary
The term "Motu" can refer to a Melanesian people in New Guinea or their language. The Motu language is an Austronesian language originally spoken around Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea.12
A pidgin variety of Motu, known as Hiri Motu or Police Motu, developed as a lingua franca in the early 20th century. This pidgin language was created to facilitate communication between colonizers and indigenous peoples. Hiri Motu has since spread beyond the capital to other areas. While grammatically related to Tok Pisin, Hiri Motu has distinct sentence structures.23
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- Melanesian languages
…Melanesian languages of note are Motu, in the form of Police Motu (a pidgin), used widely as a lingua franca in Papua New Guinea; Roviana, the language of the Methodist Mission in the Solomon Islands; Bambatana, a literary language used by the Methodists on Choiseul Island; Bugotu, a lingua franca…
Read More…Melanesian languages of note are Motu, in the form of Police Motu (a pidgin), used widely as a lingua franca in Papua New Guinea; Roviana, the language of the Methodist Mission in the Solomon Islands; Bambatana, a literary language used by the Methodists on Choiseul Island; Bugotu, a lingua franca…
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Austronesian languagesMajor languagesMotu, centred in the important harbour of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, was the medium through which the seasonal hiri (trading voyages) took place across the 225-mile-wide Gulf of Papua before the arrival of Europeans. Under British colonial rule a simplified form of Motu…
Read MoreMotu, centred in the important harbour of Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, was the medium through which the seasonal hiri (trading voyages) took place across the 225-mile-wide Gulf of Papua before the arrival of Europeans. Under British colonial rule a simplified form of Motu…
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