▁Tok ) ▁is ▁an ▁English - based ▁cre ole ▁language ▁spoken ▁on ▁several ▁Tor res ▁Stra it ▁Islands ▁( Que ens land , ▁Australia ), ▁Northern ▁Cape ▁York ▁and ▁South - West ern ▁Coast al ▁Pap ua . ▁It ▁has ▁approximately ▁ 2 5 , 0 0 0 ▁mother - t ong ue ▁and ▁bi / tri - ling ual ▁speak ers , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁several ▁second / third - language ▁speak ers . ▁It ▁is ▁widely ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁language ▁of ▁trade ▁and ▁commerce . ▁Tor res ▁Stra it ▁Cre ole ▁has ▁six ▁main ▁dialect s : ▁Pap uan , ▁Western - Cent ral , ▁T I , ▁Mal ay , ▁Eastern , ▁and ▁Cape ▁York . ▁Its ▁main ▁characteristics ▁show ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁Pacific ▁P id gin , ▁but ▁the ▁future ▁in ▁X ▁[ i ] ▁go ▁V ER B ▁align s ▁it ▁with ▁Atlantic ▁Cre oles . ▁Rel ated ▁languages ▁are ▁P ij in ▁of ▁the ▁Sol omon ▁Islands , ▁Tok ▁P is in ▁of ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea , ▁and ▁B isl ama ▁of ▁Van u atu . ▁The ▁other ▁cre oles ▁of ▁Australia ▁( such ▁as ▁R oper ▁River ▁K ri ol ▁and ▁Australian ▁K ri ol ▁language ) ▁are ▁more ▁dist antly ▁related , ▁being ▁descend ants ▁of ▁the ▁P id gin ▁English ▁that ▁developed ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁Sydney ▁after ▁the ▁colon isation ▁of ▁Australia . ▁ ▁History ▁Records ▁of ▁pid gin ▁English ▁being ▁used ▁in ▁Tor res ▁Stra it ▁exist ▁from ▁as ▁early ▁as