Babatana language

Babatana, also spelled Mbambatana, is the principal indigenous language of Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands. Although native to the South Choiseul coastline area between Sepa and the Manggo Bay area, the use of this language has spread across much of Choiseul Island and it is generally understood, much like Solomon Islands Pijin, across the province as a second or third language.

Babatana
East Choiseul
Native toSolomon Islands
Native speakers
7,100 (1999)[1]
Dialects
  • Sisingga (Sisiqa)
Language codes
ISO 639-3baa
Glottologsout3208

Phonology

The following represents the Sisiqa dialect:

Consonants
Bilabial Alveolar Post-
alveolar		 Velar
Plosive voiceless p t k
voiced b d dʒ ɡ
Fricative voiceless s
voiced β z ɣ
Nasal m n ŋ
Trill r
Lateral l
  • Voiced stops are typically plainly released word-initially, but prenasalized [ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ] when intervocalically.
  • The fricative /z/ can be heard as an affricate [dz] in free variation within word-initial position.

Vowels
Front Central Back
Close i ə u
Mid e o
Open a
  • The central vowel /ə/ can vary between three sounds [ə], [ɨ] and [ø].[2]

Simple expressions
  • 'Good morning': Marisasa nöe
  • 'Good afternoon': Kinaka nöe
  • 'Good evening': Vilu nöe
  • 'Good night': Kuse nöe
  • 'Let's go fishing': Me mata la pepeko
  • 'How much': Ava via
  • 'Many': Taba
  • 'No worries': Manöe zirapeta
  • 'I'm hungry': Ra ko saqo
  • 'I'm full': Ra ko kuma
  • 'Don't eat it': Kasi göki tini
  • 'I'd like to swim': Ra ko sökö ma senge
  • 'I'd like to dive': Ra ko sökö ma kujulu
  • 'I'm going to sleep': Ra ma la pamu
  • 'Come here': Zo me gati
  • 'Go away': Zo
  • 'Bring ... here': vame gati...
  • 'Take ... away': Qisu la ...
  • 'Leave it': Törö
  • 'I like ...': Ra ko sökö ...
  • 'I see ...': Kori ...
  • 'I don't see ...': Kamariqu ...
  • 'It's too hot': Sa vila varuka
  • 'The sun is too hot': Kiku sa vila varuka
  • 'Where are you going?': Bimolae?
  • 'Bad boy': So roka (usually said in jest with suitable tone)

Commands/verbs
  • 'Go': Zola
  • 'Come': Zome
  • 'Quick': Dada
  • 'Slow': Kurki
  • 'Easy': Samao
  • 'Run': Jekele
  • 'Wait': Piri
  • 'Jump': Soqa
  • 'Out': Jolo
  • 'Shout': Vukulu
  • 'Tell him': Pijoni

Numbers
  • 1. Köke
  • 2. Kere
  • 3. Tulu
  • 4. Vati
  • 5. Lima
  • 6. Vonomo
  • 7. Vitu
  • 8. Viu
  • 9. Zia
  • 10. Mano
  • 20. Karabete
  • 30. Tolo Ngonu
  • 40. Kereduki
  • 50. Neqo
  • 60. Neqo mano
  • 70. Neqo karabete
  • 80. Neqo tulungunu
  • 90. Neqo kereduki
  • 100. Köke vubi
  • 1000. Köke Mau

Other vocabulary
  • 'Food': Gaki
  • 'Garden': Baroe
  • 'Cassava': Tovioko
  • 'Pineapple': Kanapu
  • 'Sweet potato': Sisu
  • 'Taro': Tika
  • 'Yam': Noba
  • 'Pumpkin': Duru
  • 'Corn': Lezu
  • 'Banana': Siku
  • 'Ripe': Musu
  • 'Betelnut': Kasu
  • 'Sour/bitter': Paza
  • 'It smells': Sanabu
  • 'Bad smell': Nabusasa
  • 'Fish': Koete
  • 'Shark': Bursa
  • 'Bonito': Reka
  • 'Crocodile': Poku
  • 'Kingfish': Tangere
  • 'Barracuda': Ghalu
  • 'Marlin': Viruviru
  • 'Fishing line': Tali
  • 'Hook': Jopa pipiko
  • 'Bait': Mamutu
  • 'Reef': Pedaka
  • 'Dive': Kojulu
  • 'Coral': Laji
  • 'Sea cucumber': Bu
  • 'Clam shell': Meka
  • 'Shell': Banga
  • 'River': Vuru
  • 'Rain': Murga
  • 'Wind': Vovosele
  • 'Cyclone': Sokoro
  • 'Sea': Masi
  • 'Fresh water': Bi
  • 'Island': Nunu
  • 'Mountain': Supu
  • 'Sand beach': Korokone
  • 'Sky': Mamalurkana
  • 'Cloud': Toki
  • 'Sun': Ngada
  • 'Star': Siriputu
  • 'Moon': Ukene
  • 'Canoe': Mola
  • 'Paddle': Kapo
  • 'House': Toke/pande
  • 'Ladder': Tokatoka
  • 'Kitchen': Pande kuki
  • 'Cooking pot': Sireke
  • 'Door': Patagamana
  • 'Window': Vuida
  • 'Sleep': Pam
  • 'Mosquito': Zizima

Customary terms
  • 'Creep': Gara

Colourful words
  • 'Masturbation': Sovisovi
  • 'Excrement': Te
  • 'Vagina': Kede
  • 'Penis': Veje
  • 'Anus': Kodolo
  • 'Mucus': Momo

References
  1. Babatana at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Ross, Malcolm (2002). Sisiqa. The Oceanic Languages: Richmond: Curzon. pp. 456–466.
For a list of words relating to Babatana language, see the Babatana language category of words in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
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