Bislama

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A language of Vanuatu

ISO 639-3
bis
Alternate Names
Bichelamar
Autonym
Bislama
Population

10,000 in Vanuatu (2011), increasing. Ethnic population: 95% Melanesian.

Location

Widespread.

Language Maps
Language Status

1 (National). Statutory national language (1980, Constitution, Article 3(1)). Most in the country understand and use it as lingua franca and as a symbol of national identity.

Classification
Creole, English based, Pacific
Dialects

None known. Partially intelligible with Pijin [pis] (Solomon Islands) and Tok Pisin [tpi] (Papua New Guinea), but, unlike them, Bislama has some French loanwords.

Typology

SVO; prepositions; dual number; tense; 17 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; non-tonal.

Language Use

Used by all, except elderly or youngest rural speakers. Positive attitudes. Also use English [eng], French [fra].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 35%. Literacy rate in L2: Low. Proposed vernacular education (2011). Since 2012, Bislama is classified along with the vernaculars as a first language for use as a language of instruction in grades 1–3, and for use as a supplementary language as required in other grades. Used informally in classrooms in secondary schools. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1998.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Bislama
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Christian.

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