[Mihalic] some (mainly food-related) terminology

John Burton john.burton at anu.edu.au
Tue Apr 5 10:26:50 EST 2005


Thanks for this, Craig. I too have May and May and it's on the list of
things to go through with a fine-toothed comb. Ron (upstairs in this
building) said we could use the pictures if we wanted too, but he wanted me
to check with Maureen Mackenzie who took some of them. I haven't contacted
her yet (email address anyone?).

Many may be wondering why there has been little progress on the web site for
quite some time, i.e. why aren't all the words there? I have been holding
off because of background negotiations with various parties who could make
our life a lot easier (or, alternatively, far more complicated). I will not
elaborate right now but I circulated a document among 8 groups recently, 7
of which are in PNG, to propose a collaboration on what we are doing.

Unfortunately, many recipients have been confused by two other recent
developments. The first is that the 1971 Mihalic (M71) has just been
reprinted in a run of 5000 copies. The second is that Oxford is believed to
be going ahead with a Tok Pisin Study Dictionary. I reported this to the
list in late 2003 and had one conversation with the sales rep at that time.
Evidently our efforts have been considered too academic / ponderous / not
amenable to commercialisation to warrant us being kept in the loop. If
anyone has further information do let everyone know.

Anyhow, I am NOT confused by the above, because I am confident in our
ability to do the 'full Monty'. The reprints will be off the shelves by the
time we are done and the Study Dictionary is unlikely to be more than a
culling of existing publications. (However, we should watch out for material
lifted from the M71 or from our website.) Let's not worry too much about
either.

The upshot from waiting for the PNG groups to respond is that I am reluctant
to do a lot more editing work until we get more participation from PNG. If
you have mates who are 1st/2nd language TP speakers, please encourage them
to join the list. This would be a great start.

What I may do is add the rest of M71 but WITHOUT creating revised entries,
just so all the (old) words can be seen to be there. Is this a good idea?

Craig / Eva - the main problem with dealing with the food / plants / birds
/animals is not the words (yes it is 'mosong') but checking the species
names (a fair amount of taxonomic revision has been done since the 1980s)
and adding the idioms (all the things 'i gat mosong long en').  Perhaps if I
did put up the old words, we could get our teeth into them more easily.

Regards
John Burton

Resource Management in Asia-Pacific Program
Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies
Australian National University

> I've been working with food terminology in Nalik using the 
> pictures in Kaikai Aniani by R.J. May  (Robert Brown, 
> Bathurst 1984). I've  noticed that these Tok Pisin names from 
> that book are not on the Mihalic list yet:
> 
> Asbin
> winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus
> 
> karakap
> According to May, the scientific name given on the mihalic 
> list (Solanum nigrum) is now regarded as incorrect, as it is 
> recognised as a different species, Solanum nodifloram.
> 
> Kirsen
> May lists this for the tropical “cherry” (Jamaica 
> cherry). Is this word still used? I know the fruit, but 
> haven’t heard anybody actually call it by this 
> German-derived word.
> 
> Kombi
> Wild fig (Ficus spp.)
> 
> Makau
> Tilapia fish
> 
> Maleo
> Eel
> 
> mosang
> wild fig (ficus spp.)
> kumu mosang
> wild fig leaves
> 
> ponpon
> Alizia sp. A tree with edible leaves
> May spells this as pounpoun; I've never heard of it. Has anybody else?
> 
> Pislama
> Sea slug, trepang
> 
> Pota
> Garcinia fruit (Garcinia spp.)
> May describes this fruit as similar to a mangosteen
> 
> Salamon
> May lists this as a large bush tree with a fruit that has 
> edible seeds. However, I've only known of this word as a 
> rattle. I thought it meant any kind of traditional rattle, 
> but perhaps it is only a rattle made from the seeds of this tree?
> 
> Etymology:
> Talis
> The source for this is listed as Kuanua. The word is the same 
> in Nalik (New
> Ireland) and probably other New Ireland languages.
> 
> 
> Also, under kambang, I’d add ston kambang for coral. I 
> know this is the word used in New Ireland; is it the same 
> word elsewhere as well?
> 
> Craig Volker
> 
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