Yumplatok
Torres Strait Creole
English-based creole (Pacific, Melanesian Pijin family)
Torres Strait Creole (Yumplatok, also known as Brokan or Broken English) is an English-based creole spoken across the Torres Strait Islands between Australia and Papua New Guinea, plus the diaspora in north Queensland mainland (Cairns, Townsville). It emerged in the 19th-century Pacific Islander labour trade and pearl-shelling industry, sharing substrate features with Tok Pisin (tpi) and Bislama as part of the Melanesian Pijin family but with distinct Australian and Eastern Torres Strait (Meriam Mir) Papuan substrate influences. The community name "Yumplatok" ("you+me+altogether+talk") reflects its inclusive identity. Recognized as a separate language by Australian Indigenous Language frameworks since the 1980s.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Torres Strait Creole
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: English-based creole (Pacific, Melanesian Pijin family)
| Meaning | Torres Strait Creole | Bislama | Pijin | Tok Pisin | Krio | Nigerian Pidgin | Jamaican Patois |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | woda /woda/ | wota /wota/ | wata /wata/ | wara /waɾa/ | wata /ˈwata/ | wọtá /wɔta/ | waata /waːta/ |
| Fire | paya /paja/ | faea /faea/ | faea /faja/ | paia /paja/ | faya /ˈfaja/ | faya /faja/ | faiya /faja/ |
| Sun | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | san /san/ | sọn /sɔn/ | son /sɔn/ |
| Moon | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | mun /mun/ | muun /muːn/ |
| Star | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | sta /sta/ | star /staː/ | staar /staː/ |
| Night | nait /nait/ | naet /naet/ | naet /naet/ | nait /nait/ | nɛt /nɛt/ | nait /nait/ | nait /nait/ |
| Rain | ren /ren/ | ren /rɛn/ | ren /ren/ | ren /ren/ | ren /rɛn/ | rain /reːn/ | rien /rien/ |
| Wind | win /win/ | win /win/ | win /win/ | win /win/ | briz /briz/ | win /win/ | briiz /briːz/ |
| Earth | graun /ɡraun/ | graon /ɡraon/ | graon /ɡraon/ | graun /ɡraun/ | gron /ɡrɔn/ | graun /ɡraʊn/ | grung /ɡrʌŋ/ |
| Stone | ston /ston/ | ston /ston/ | ston /ston/ | ston /ston/ | ston /stɔn/ | ston /ston/ | stuon /stuon/ |
| Mountain | maunten /maunten/ | maunten /maunten/ | maonden /maonden/ | maunten /maunten/ | mawnten /ˈmawnten/ | mountin /maʊntin/ | mountn /mountn/ |
| Sea | solwata /solwata/ | solwora /solwora/ | solwata /solwata/ | solwara /solwaɾa/ | si /si/ | sea /si/ | sii /siː/ |
| Mother | ama /ama/ | mama /mama/ | mami /mami/ | mama /mama/ | mama /ˈmama/ | mama /mama/ | mada /mɑdə/ |
| Father | papa /papa/ | papa /papa/ | dadi /dadi/ | papa /papa/ | papa /ˈpapa/ | papa /papa/ | faada /faːda/ |
| Daughter | gel /ɡel/ | gel /ɡel/ | dota /dota/ | pikinini meri /pikinini meri/ | gyal pikin /ɡjal pikin/ | girl pikin /ɡɛl pikin/ | daata /dɑːtə/ |
| I | ai /ai/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | mi /mi/ | A /a/ | mi /mi/ |
| You | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | iu /iu/ | yu /ju/ | yu /ju/ | you /ju/ | yu /ju/ |
| We | yumpla / mipla /jumpla / mipla/ | yumi / mifala /jumi / mifala/ | iumi / mifala /jumi / mifala/ | yumi / mipela /jumi / mipela/ | wi /wi/ | wi /wi/ | wi /wi/ |
| Name | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nem/ | nem /nɛm/ | nem /nɛm/ | niem /niem/ |
| Head | ed /ed/ | hed /hed/ | hed /hed/ | het /het/ | ed /ed/ | head /hɛd/ | ed /ɛd/ |
| Eye | ai /aj/ | ae /ae/ | ae /ae/ | ai /aj/ | ay /aj/ | ai /aɪ/ | yai /jaɪ/ |
| Ear | talinga /taliŋa/ | ia /ia/ | ia /ia/ | yau /jau/ | yes /jes/ | ear /ia/ | iez /iez/ |
| Nose | nus /nus/ | nus /nus/ | nos /nos/ | nus /nus/ | nos /nɔs/ | nose /noːs/ | nuoz /nuoz/ |
| Mouth | maut /maut/ | maot /maot/ | maot /maot/ | maus /maus/ | mɔt /mɔt/ | mout /maʊt/ | mout /mout/ |
| Tooth | tit /tit/ | tut /tut/ | titi /titi/ | tit /tit/ | tit /tit/ | tit /tit/ | tiit /tiːt/ |
| Tongue | tang /taŋ/ | tang /taŋ/ | tang /taŋ/ | tang /taŋ/ | tɔŋ /tɔŋ/ | tong /tɔŋ/ | tong /tɔŋ/ |
| Hand | an /an/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | han /han/ | an /an/ | hand /hand/ | an /an/ |
| Foot | put /put/ | leg /leɡ/ | leg /leɡ/ | lek /lek/ | fut /fut/ | leg /lɛɡ/ | fut /fʊt/ |
| Heart | at /at/ | bel /bel/ | hat /hat/ | bel /bel/ | at /at/ | hat /hat/ | aat /aːt/ |
| Bone | bon /bon/ | bun /bun/ | bon /bon/ | bun /bun/ | bon /bɔn/ | bón /bɔn/ | buon /bʊɔn/ |
| Blood | blad /blad/ | blad /blad/ | blad /blad/ | blut /blut/ | blɔd /blɔd/ | blod /blɔd/ | blod /blʌd/ |
| Poop | kaka /kaka/ | kaka /kaka/ | kaka /kaka/ | pekpek /pɛkpɛk/ | kaka /kaˈka/ | shit /ʃit/ | kaka /kaka/ |
| Love | lavem /lavem/ | laekem /laekem/ | lavem /lavem/ | laikim /lajkim/ | lɛk /lɛk/ | lọv /lɔv/ | lov /lɔv/ |
| Tree | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | diwai /diwaj/ | tik /tik/ | tri /tɾi/ | chrii /tʃɹiː/ |
| Dog | dog /doɡ/ | dog /doɡ/ | dogi /doɡi/ | dok /dok/ | dɔg /dɔɡ/ | dọg /dɔɡ/ | daag /daːɡ/ |
| Cat | pusiket /pusiket/ | pusi /pusi/ | puskat /puskat/ | pusi /pusi/ | pus /pus/ | pus /pus/ | puss /pʊs/ |
| Fish | pis /pis/ | fis /fis/ | fis /fis/ | pis /pis/ | fis /fis/ | fish /fiʃ/ | fish /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | pizin /pizin/ | pijin /pidʒin/ | bed /bed/ | pisin /ˈpisin/ | bɔd /bɔd/ | bird /bɛd/ | bod /bɔd/ |
| Butterfly | bataplai /bataplai/ | bataflae /bataflae/ | bataflae /bataflae/ | bataplai /bataplaj/ | bɔtaflay /bɔtaflaj/ | — | botaflai /bɔtaflai/ |
| Egg | eg /eɡ/ | eg /ɛɡ/ | eg /eɡ/ | kiau /kiau/ | eg /ɛɡ/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | eg /ɛɡ/ |
| Bear | bea /bea/ | bea /bea/ | bea /bea/ | bea /bea/ | bia /ˈbia/ | bear /bɛ/ | bier /biɛr/ |
| Horse | os /os/ | hos /hos/ | hos /hos/ | hos /hos/ | ɔs /ɔs/ | horse /hɔs/ | aas /aːs/ |
| House | haus /haus/ | haos /haos/ | haos /haos/ | haus /haus/ | os /os/ | haus /haʊs/ | ous /ɔus/ |
| Milk | susu /susu/ | melek /melek/ | susu /susu/ | susu /susu/ | milk /milk/ | milk /milk/ | milk /mɪlk/ |
| Honey | ani /ani/ | hani /hani/ | hani /hani/ | hani /hani/ | ɔni /ˈɔni/ | honey /hɔni/ | oni /ɔni/ |
| Salt | solt /solt/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sol /sol/ | sɔl /sɔl/ | salt /sɔlt/ | saalt /saːlt/ |
| Wine | wain /wain/ | waen /waen/ | waen /waen/ | wain /wain/ | wayn /wain/ | wine /waɪn/ | wain /wain/ |
| Rice | rais /rais/ | raes /raes/ | raes /raes/ | rais /rais/ | rɛs /rɛs/ | rais /rais/ | rais /rais/ |
| Iron | aian /aian/ | aean /aean/ | aean /aean/ | ain /ain/ | ayɛn /ˈajɛn/ | iron /aiɔn/ | aiyan /aijan/ |
| Wheel | wil /wil/ | wil /wil/ | wil /wil/ | wil /wil/ | wil /wil/ | wil /wil/ | wiil /wiːl/ |
| Silk | silk /silk/ | silik /silik/ | silk /silk/ | slika /slika/ | silk /silk/ | silk /silk/ | silk /sɪlk/ |
| Book | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /buk/ | buk /bʊk/ |
| Eat | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kakae /kakae/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | kaikai /kajkaj/ | it /it/ | chọp /tʃɔp/ | nyam /ɲam/ |
| Drink | dringk /driŋk/ | dring /driŋ/ | drinkim /driŋkim/ | dring /dɾiŋ/ | drink /driŋk/ | drink /dɾiŋk/ | jringk /dʒrɪŋk/ |
| Sleep | slip /slip/ | slip /slip/ | slip /slip/ | slip /slip/ | slip /slip/ | slip /slip/ | sliip /sliːp/ |
| One | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wanfala /wanfala/ | wanpela /wanpɛla/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ | wan /wan/ |
| Two | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tufala /tufala/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tu /tu/ | tuu /tuː/ |
| Three | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | trifala /trifala/ | tripela /tripɛla/ | tri /tri/ | tri /tri/ | chrii /tʃɹiː/ |
| Four | fo /fo/ | fo /fo/ | fofala /fofala/ | fopela /fopɛla/ | fo /fo/ | fo /fɔ/ | fuo /fuo/ |
| Five | faiv /faiv/ | faev /faev/ | faefala /faefala/ | faiv /faiv/ | fayv /faiv/ | faiv /faiv/ | faiv /faiv/ |
| Hundred | andred /andred/ | handred /handred/ | handred /handred/ | handet /handet/ | ɔndrɛd /ˈɔndrɛd/ | hundred /hɔndrɛd/ | onjrid /ɔndʒrɪd/ |
| Hello | wis wei /wis wej/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | halo /halo/ | kushɛ /kuˈʃɛ/ | how far /haʊ faː/ | wah gwaan /wɑ ɡwɑːn/ |
| Thank you | eso /eso/ | tangkyu /taŋkju/ | tagio /taɡio/ | tenkyu /tɛŋkju/ | tɛnki /ˈtɛŋki/ | tenki /tɛnki/ | tanks /taŋks/ |
| Good | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gud /ɡud/ | gutpela /ɡutpɛla/ | gud /ɡud/ | fain /faɪn/ | gud /ɡʊd/ |
| New | niu /niu/ | niufala /niufala/ | niu /niu/ | nupela /nupɛla/ | nyu /nju/ | new /nju/ | nyuu /ɲuː/ |
| Red | red /red/ | red /red/ | red /red/ | retpela /retpela/ | rɛd /rɛd/ | red /rɛd/ | red /ɹɛd/ |
| White | wait /wait/ | waet /waet/ | waet /waet/ | waitpela /waitpela/ | wayt /wajt/ | white /waɪt/ | wait /wait/ |
| Black | blak /blak/ | blak /blak/ | blak /blak/ | blakpela /blakpela/ | blak /blak/ | black /blak/ | blak /blak/ |
| Green | grin /ɡrin/ | grin /ɡrin/ | grin /ɡrin/ | grinpela /ɡrinpela/ | grin /ɡrin/ | green /ɡrin/ | griin /ɡɹiːn/ |
| Blue | blu /blu/ | blu /blu/ | blu /blu/ | blupela /blupela/ | blu /blu/ | blue /blu/ | blu /blu/ |
| Ninety-nine | nainti nain /nainti nain/ | naenti naen /naenti naen/ | naenti-naen /naenti naen/ | nainpela ten nain /nainpela ten nain/ | naynti-nayn /nainti nain/ | ninty-nine /nainti nain/ | nainti-nain /nainti nain/ |
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