[Mihalic] dimdim etymology

[C A Volker]

Re the etymology of dimdim-

In an earlier posting, Don Niles quoted Bergman
Bergmann (1982: 156) who said "that the African snail was introduced to PNG
during World War II by the Japanese for use as a food source. This does not
appear to be a Japanese word,"

Although the Standard Japanese word for snail is katatsumuri , colloquially
they are also "denden-mushi".  "Denden" has no meaning, while "mushi" is
insect (snails are insects in Japanese folk-taxonomy). "Denden" is certainly
the word children would use and therefore the "easy" word Japanese soldiers
would have used with Papua New Guineans. So I think Japanese is a very
probable source for Tok Pisin "dimdim".

Old people in New Ireland confirm that the African snail was introduced
during WWII. They give two stories about the reason for its introduction.
Most agree with Bergman that it was introduced by the Japanese as a food
source. Although hungry Japanese soldiers certainly did eat snails in PNG,
back in Japan it has never been a local food. The other story says that the
snails were dropped by Americans who wanted to introduce a pest to eat up
the Japanese food gardens. My own hypothesis is that the snails were on a
ship or in a crate brought by one side or the other.

I wonder if it would be too much to ask these two former foes to collaborate
in eliminating this terrible pest from Papua New Guinean gardens? The amount
of nutritious food they eat is incredible!

Craig Volker

PS Any ideas about the connection, if any, between Tok Pisin  "dimdim =
snail" and Milne Bay English "dimdim=white person"?

***************************
よろしくお願いします。
岐阜聖徳学園大学助教授
クレイグ・フォルカー

Craig Volker, PhD
Associate Professor
Gifu Shotoku Gakuen University
Gifu, Japan

volker at nalik.org