Wantok is one of the many words I love in the English-based Tok Pisin (Neo-Melanesian) creole language of multilingual Papua New Guinea. It means “close friend.” Literally translated it is “one talk.” Wan can mean “one,” “same” or “together,” and tok can mean “talk” or “language.”

So, at least in my mind, and possibly in the minds of the creators, wantok is someone with whom you share a language and someone with whom you have confidential talks.