belo

Since colonial-style plantation labour forces have all but disappeared, the work belo, and its counterpart belo bek, is seldom heard today. An exception is the lunchtime hooter at the Bulolo Forest Products main mill, Bulolo. This sounds in the traditional way and can be heard by all town dwellers and employees such as jinker drivers who are on work sites in the surrounding pine forests.

See original Mihalic entry. See List discussion. .

Is the source word really English ‘bellow’?

Noun forms

1. a bellowing, a deep sounding or loud signal, the ring of a bell
   mekim belo to give the signal for work, school or church services

2. Everyday item: a bell, gas cylinder used as a bell, hooter, alarm, used to summon people, for example church-goers, to gatherings or workers back to work ® taur
   paitim belo, pulim belo to ring a bell, depending on whether it is struck or pulled by a chord
   belo bilong klok the alarm or chimes on a clock
   klok belo an alarm clock

3. noon, noontime (short for belo kaikai, belo bilong kaikai)
   belo kaikai lunchtime
   belo stret at high noon
   belo bek afternoon; literally: ‘the bell to go back’ to work ... which is generally about two o'clock

4. a shift at work
   mi wok tu belo I worked two shifts, i.e. morning and afternoon

Intransitive verb forms

5. (i) to make a noise like a bell (ii) to bellow
   ol bulmakau wok long belo insait long plantesin the cows are bellowing in the plantation

© Revising the Mihalic Project, 26 Jan 2005 [Home]