Word for the Travel Wise (07/15/06)

After finding out about the happiest country on Earth earlier, I figured it’d be nice to know some of the local language and luckily for us, the Vanuatu tourism website has included enough to get anyone looking to visit around the town.

Today’s phrase is a Bislama word used in Vanuatu:

mi glad tumas – (me glad too much) I am very happy

Bislama is a Melanesian creole language and one of the official languages used in Vanuatu. For the most part it is a phonetic lingo and a mixture of words from English, French, and various North, Central, and South Vanuatu langs. There are 6,200 first language speakers and 128,000 additional language speakers. Check out the Wikipedia for additional background and historical facts regarding Bislama. To start learning some words and phrases right away go to the official tourism site for the tropical South Pacific island country.