wanpis

[Mesulam Aisoli]

"wanpis" means in English "one fish". In the New Guinea Islands region it
means "turagu" or "ap turagu", "turagu means poor fellow" someone you feel
real pity for him because he is lonely. You show sorrow for someone being
left alone for some unknown reasons. Those who are being isolated become,
"wanpis" thus people feel sorry for them. Sure, you can become "wanpis" too,
if you are cross about something, and tell those your opposition that you do
not care although you are alone "wanpis" which means that you can hit or
fight regardless of numbers going against you. In a cross manner, you can
call out "mi wanpis tasol, kam na traim mi".

Mesulam Aisoli

> ----------
> From: 	BURTON John[SMTP:john.burton at tsra.gov.au]
> Sent: 	Friday, 15 March 2002 12:41pm
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	FW: wanpis
> 
> Folk were discussing the meaning of 'wanpis' on Asaonet. Can we help out?
> I haven't really thought about it but (obviously 'wanpis' means solitary)
> I
> have the idea that because, fish swim about together, when you see one
> swimming by itself, you can talk of 'the only fish in the sea'.
> 
> Is this something like how 'wanpis' has come about?
> John Burton
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alex Golub [mailto:ajgolub at MIDWAY.UCHICAGO.EDU]
> Sent: Friday, 15 March 2002 4:52 AM
> To: ASAONET at LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
> Subject: Re: wanpis
> 
> 
> Where I lived in PNG (Enga) it meant 'only child' - there was only wan pes
> (one face) in the family. It was a not-uncommon proper name.
> -A
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Claudia Gross [mailto:claudiagross at clear.net.nz]
> Sent: Friday, 15 March 2002 12:21 PM
> To: ASAONET at LISTSERV.UIC.EDU
> Subject: Re: wanpisI haven't got a clue about any connection to tinea,
> but...
> 
> >From Morobe I know 'wanpis' as similar to 'wanpela', to mean single or
> 'by
> myself', such as 'mi stap wanpela tasol' or 'mi stap wanpis tasol' which
> can
> both
> mean (contextually) I am here by myself or (more categorically) I am
> single
> and
> hence are here by myself. When I was going places and was asked whether I
> was by
> self ('yu tasol i kam?') and replied 'yes, mi stap wanpela tasol'  people
> could
> reply 'oh yu wanpis tasol, ah?'  trying to find out whether I was living
> with
> someone or was married.
> 'Wanpes' on the other hand, in Morobe at least, means to resemble someone,
> to
> have the same face -- e.g. meri ya i kisim pes bilong papa bilong en,
> tupela
> wanpes.
> 
> cheerio,
> Claudia
>