Origin of Beach-la-Mar
alteration of bêche-de-mer a well-known trade item in the region where this type of pidgin is spoken
Definition for beach-la-mar (2 of 2)
Neo-Melanesian
[ nee-oh-mel-uh-nee-zhuh n, -shuh n ]
/ ˌni oʊˌmɛl əˈni ʒən, -ʃən /
noun
a pidgin language based on English and spoken in Melanesia, New Guinea, and NE Australia.
Origin of Neo-Melanesian
First recorded in 1960–65
Also called Beach-la-mar, bêche-de-mer.
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British Dictionary definitions for beach-la-mar (1 of 2)
Beach-la-Mar
/ (ˌbiːtʃləˈmɑː) /
noun
an English-based creole language spoken in Vanuatu and Fiji, and formerly much more widespreadAlso called: Biche-la-mar
Word Origin for Beach-la-Mar
C19: quasi-French, from bêche-de-mer (trepang, this being a major trading commodity in the SW Pacific; hence the name was applied to the trading language)
British Dictionary definitions for beach-la-mar (2 of 2)
Neo-Melanesian
noun
an English-based creole language widely spoken in the SW Pacific, with borrowings from other languages, esp MotuAlso called: Beach-la-Mar
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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