Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bus kanaka

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.04 in modern English

Syllables: bus kana-ka
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An uncivilized person; a person who follows a traditional rather than a modern lifestyle.

Example Sentences

"[…] for some more sophisticated coastal people there was merely the shame at being led by a bush kanaka, […]"
"Fuyuge men recount with humor their initial encounters with life in Port Moresby during the 1950s. They speak of travelling to the coast in their bark-cloths and realising upon their arrival that they were inappropriately dressed: “We immediately felt bus kanaka [wild, uncivilized].”"
"Sam’s blues and boots disappeared into his small backpack, his beret was pushed back onto the head at a very jaunty angle and the .303 was slung carelessly over the shoulder. A torn pair of shorts completed the ensemble. In the twinkling of an eye, the immaculate policeman was transformed into a ragged bush kanaka […]"
"Manam islanders knew Mambu: but they could not admit to being led or influenced by a mere bush-Kanaka."
"Do you see development here? Are you living like white men? No! We’re still living like bus kanaka."

Etymology

Borrowed from Tok Pisin bus kanaka.

Inflected Forms

bus kanakas (plural) bush kanaka (alternative) bush-Kanaka (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

bushman

Questions

What does bus kanaka mean?: An uncivilized person; a person who follows a traditional rather than a modern lifestyle.
Where does bus kanaka come from?: Borrowed from Tok Pisin bus kanaka.

How to pronounce bus kanaka

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bus kanaka”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “bus kanaka” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.