These Pidgin songs from New Guinea were originally collected and printed in a journal of New Guinea literature titled Kovave. Kovave contains a collection of creative works from New Guinea published in both Pidgin and English. The types of pieces included in Kovave range from traditional folk tales to poetry to literary criticism, and they come from many contributors.
Often called 'Pidgin' by English speakers, Tok Pisin is the most commonly spoken language of the official languages used in Papua New Guinea, with approximately one million speakers. Tok Pisin is a creole language as well, so it appears to be a combination of multiple languages that form a new language. The word “Pisin” is derived from the English word “pidgin,” meaning a “grammatically simplified form of a language.”
The Kovave literature magazine has been edited by its founder, German editor, writer, and scholar, Ulli Beier. It has also been edited by a variety of poets as well as students from the University of Papua & New Guinea. The first Pidgin song in this Alcheringa entry was collected by Leo Morgan, the second was found by Leo D. Laita, and the third by John Hakena.
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Erick, Kesia. “The Growth of Papua New Guinea Literature.” Ples Singsing - A PNG Writer's Blog, 14 Sept. 2021, https://plessingsing.com/2021/09/14/the-growth-of-papua-new-guinea-literature/.
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