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.

Phonology

The following represents the Sisiqa dialect:

Consonants

Voiced stops are typically plainly released word-initially, but prenasalized when intervocalically.
The fricative can be heard as an affricate in free variation within word-initial position.

Vowels

The central vowel can vary between three sounds, and.

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

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

Customary terms

'Creep': Gara

Colourful words

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