Misc comments

[Don Niles]

BILUM etymology: Ross (1992:378) via Günther Renck suggests it may be
derived from Jabêm (Yabim) abilung (abêlông in Jabêm orthography,
substitute an 'n' with a tail for my 'ng'): "The netbag is not a
traditional item in Tolai culture, and the term was apparently brought back
home by Tolai labourers working on the German plantations around
Finschhafen, where Yabem is spoken natively. Deletion of the Yabem initial
a- is apparently due to its reinterpretation as the Tolai article a."

KAWAWAR spelling: this is very commonly pronunced as kawar.

TOMBOX spelling: why does Tok Pisin need an 'x'? TOMBOKS would be better.

SAMSAM vs. SINGSING vs. DANIS: the web site asks for clarification on the
distinction between samsam and singsing, but danis should also be
considered. Singsing everywhere refers to the totality of any event which
involves traditional singing and dancing, as defined in Mihalic. In the New
Guinea Islands, samsam is used to refer specifically to dance movements and
singsing can be used to refer only to singing. On the mainland, however,
samsam appears to be seldom used and singsing means singing and dancing. If
it is necessary to refer to dancing on the mainland, kalap or kalapkalap
(or Mihalic's kalkalap, which I have never heard) can be used, and to
specify singing, singsing long maus is used. Both samsam and singsing refer
to traditional dancing. Danis, however, is the dancing to stringbands or
powerbands and would not usually be used to refer to traditional dance (at
least in my conservative TP). But singsing can be used to denote the
singing of a band or church choir. Does this help?

SAMSAM etymology: other than the possible 'jump' origin, I can add nothing,
except that there would not appear to be any relation to sam 'pig festival'
from Jabêm, as queried on the website. Sam has a very restricted usage to
Lutheran church activities.

Don Niles
Senior Ethnomusicologist
Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies
P.O. Box 1432
Boroko 111
PAPUA NEW GUINEA

tel.:	[675] 325-4644
fax:	[675] 325-0531
email:	ipngs at global.net.pg