Language quiz
Here’s a text in a mystery language sent in by Renato Figueiredo. Any ideas which language it’s in and where it’s spoken?
Papa tumus su in kosao, E’los oal payi. Togusaï lalos tuku. Orok ma nu fwalu, ou elos oru in kosao. Kite kit len si ini ma kut mono misini: A nunok munas nu ses ke ma koluk las, oanu kut nunok munas sin met orek ma koluk nu ses. A tiu kol kit kut in mel, a es kit la liki ma koluk, to togusaï lalos, a ku, a mwolanu, ma patpat. Amen.
Jangari on 16 Mar 2008 at 12:47 pm #
It’s clearly a contact language of the Pacific, but it’s not Bislama, it’s not Marshallese Creole, and certainly not Tok Pisin.
Can I take a guess and say Nauruan Creole?
AR on 16 Mar 2008 at 3:33 pm #
Kosraean, formerly known as Kusaiean, spoken on the island of Kosrae (Kusaie) in the Federated States of Micronesia as well as a couple other islands in the pacific. It is an Austronesian language.
Prietpraatprinses on 16 Mar 2008 at 6:23 pm #
No idea which language it is.
But it is quite clear to me that it is the Lord’s Prayer:
It starts with Papa, ends with Amen and I am quite sure “kosao” means “heaven” or something like that (I looked at the place of the word in the text).
Simon on 17 Mar 2008 at 4:27 pm #
AR got it - it is indeed Kosraean, and Prietpraatprinses is right about it being the Lord’s Prayer.