Bislama

The story

1. French · derived frombêche-de-mer“sea cucumber”
2. Bislama · borrowed fromBislama
3. English todayBislama

Borrowed from Bislama Bislama, from French bêche-de-mer (“sea cucumber”), referring to sea cucumbers (trepang) that were harvested and dried alongside sandalwood gathering in the mid-19th century. The pidgin that developed among local labourers, traders, and English-speaking overseers became known by the name of this trade item. The term evolved from referring to the commodity to the trade language itself.

Words from the same roots