Tetun is spoken over the whole of Timor in varying degrees of expertise and a number of regional dialects, but this dictionary is based on TETUN-LOS, because this is the dialect I learnt as a soldier in East Timor during the Second World War. This dictionary has been produced to assist travellers to East Timor, as a means of better communication with the local population. While Indonesian is the language now officially spoken and taught within the areas, Tetun has remained as the language for communication among the local populace.

All grammar and syntax refers only to Tetun-Los which is spoken along the south coast between Betano in the west, Luka in the east, and Soibada in the north.

The word list contains approximately 1100 words as the least number necessary for conversation. I hope those visiting East Timor will find the contents useful in helping to make their visit more enjoyable among a people to whom I owe an un[re]payable debt for their completely unselfish devotion to my welfare in a most difficult time during the operations against the Japanese that eventually cost so many Timorese their lives after my return to Australia in 1943. Anyone wishing to obtain a more extensive word list can purchase a copy of my Tetun-English dictionary from Pacific Linguistics at the Australian National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra 2601, Australia. (Catalogue, Series C, No 83.)

Examples of written Tetun can obtained from the author in the stories - "Land of the Sleeping Crocodile" at 3 Hoadley Av, Frankston, Vic 3199.