hatwok

Tok Pisin

Etymology

From English hard work.

Verb

hatwok

1. To work hard; to do labor; to struggle
   • 1989, Buk Baibel long Tok Pisin, Port Moresby: Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Jenesis 3:19:

     Na bai yu wok hat tru long kisim kaikai bilong yu na tuhat bai i kamap long pes bilong yu. Na bai yu hatwok oltaim inap yu dai na yu go bek long graun. Long wanem, mi bin wokim yu long graun, na bai yu go bek gen long graun.

     And you will work very hard to obtain your food [till] sweat forms on your face. And you will labour on until you die and return to the ground. Because I wrought you from the ground, and you will return again to the ground.

Usage notes

Although wok hat is theoretically equivalent, it is usually only used when hat is being modified, as in the first sentence in the citation above, where tru (“very”) modifies hat.

Noun

hatwok

1. difficulty
   • 1980, Bible Society of Papua New Guinea, Nupela Testamen na ol Sam Tok bilong Ritim Pastaim:

     Sampela taim i gat tupela o tripela ves long tok Grik, tasol i gat hatwok long brukim dispela tok long tupela o tripela ves long tok Pisin.

     Sometimes there are two or three verses in Greek, but it is difficult to break these words into two or three verses in Tok Pisin.