Am 06/13 21:41 Jonathan Chang yscrifef:
> In a message dated 2000/06/14 01:29:20 AM, Nik wrote:
>
> >> > Yu bilong wanem lotu? <What's your religion?>
> >
> >> You belong [to] what-name ????
> >
> >Bilong is used as a preposition, "of", "You [are] of what faith?"; lotu
> >I'm guessing is derived from a local language.
> >
>
> Either that or it could be "look-to". But I think it may be a local
> linguistic feature or even a native neologism, probably "untranslateable" and
> semantically "loaded" (highly meaningful to Tok Pisin users).
>
It means religion in the context of a religious service or a sect. I'm
not sure of its origin but it occurs in Samoan as well as some other
Pacific Island languages.
- andrew.
--
Andrew Smith, Intheologus hobbit@earthlight.co.nz