The completive

[Mesulam Aisoli]

There is a clear distinction between "bin" and "pinis" in the Pacific Pidgin
English. "bin" indicates time and "pinis" describes a finished action. For
instance, em i "bin" kam "pinis" na i go bek long haus. The verb "kam" or
action taken to come has already been completed or "pinis" for english
"finish". (used as past perfect tense in english).

> ----------
> From: 	BURTON John[SMTP:john.burton at tsra.gov.au]
> Sent: 	Tuesday, 29 January 2002 6:29pm
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	The completive
> 
> Mihalicers
> 
> As everyone knows "pinis" expresses a completed action ("mi mekim pinis"
> etc) as its cognates do in the other Pacific Pidgins. However, a bit of
> uncertainty surrounds the use of "bin" ("mi bin mekim" etc). One eminent
> source even attributes its spread to its use by English-speaking (Tolai)
> radio announcers in the Rabaul area in the 1970s.
> 
> I suggest this is groundless and that "bin" was present at the birth of
> these pidgins in the 1840-60s. A clue is that "bin" is the usual
> completive
> marker in Torres Strait Creole. The earliest point at which this language
> can have began to diverge was 1863 when William Banner started a
> beche-de-mer station on Warrior (Tudu) Island, employing 70 South Sea
> Islanders, all speakers of Pacific Pidgin English. By 1870, short
> sentences
> from local headmen are quoted in government reports and it is clear that
> PPE
> was in use in a stable form in the Torres Strait. Thus, "bin" in PPE's
> local
> successor, Torres Strait Creole, very likely dates to that period.
> 
> What do list subscribers feel about "bin" in Tok Pisin? When is "bin"
> preferred to "pinis"?
> 
> John Burton
>