yumi/mipela

[Jerry Jacka]

Among Enga and Ipili speakers in Enga Province, they use mipela and yumi the
same way they use the vernacular forms of 'we two' and 'we more than two'
respectively. When I learned Tok Pisin from the ANU book and tapes, I
learned that mipela was exclusive and yumi inclusive. When I tried to use it
that way in Enga, people told me that I was using it wrong. They told me
that mipela means 'we two' (nalimba in Ipili and Enga), yumi means 'we more
than two' (nanima in both languages).

Jerry Jacka