Pidgin is the most important lingua franca (common language) of Papua New Guinea. It is used as a second language by more than a million people. Pidgin is an independent language. About 65 to 70 percent of the words in Pidgin are derived from English. Another 25 to 30 percent of the words come from local languages, of which Tolai is the most important. About 5 percent of the words come from German. There are a few words from Malay and Portuguese. But many words have been modified or have completely changed meanings. For example, the word wantok (one talk) means a person from your village who speaks the same language. See also Pidgin English.
