pisin1

Pacific Pidgin English: *pisin.

Bislama: pijin; Pijin: pisin; TSC: pizin.
English etymology: ‘pigeon’

See original Mihalic entry.

Pisin gras, Mount Hagen 1989.

Noun forms

  1. Bird: a bird, any bird
    haus bilong pisin a nest

  1. Society: a clan’s totemic animal
    wanem pisin bilong yupela? what animal is the totem of your clan?

  1. Society: a clan, especially among coastal speakers: few if any areas in the Highlands have totemic clan systems, while many coastal areas do have them.
    mitupela i wanpisin we two are of the same clan
    tupela wanpisin i pait nau the two clans are fighting now
    yu bilong wanem pisin? Bilong pukpuk what clan are you from? From Crocodile

Noun combination forms

  1. Material culture: pisin gras (i) feathers, in the first instance typically cassowary feathers (ii) the feathers of large, culturally important birds like eagles (iii) lastly, the feathers all sorts of smaller birds
    ol man i putim pisin gras na singsing the man put on their feathers and danced (probably refers to cassowary feathers)
    namba wan gras pisin bilong Hagen i gras bilong igel the most important feathers for Hageners are those of the eagle

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