It is believed that Yumplatok emerged in the late 1800s. Different dialects of this Creole reflect the influences of different languages that sailors would have spoken when trading and communicating throughout the region of usage. Some of the Indigenous Torres Strait languages have a strong influence on Yumplatok, as does Malay, Meriam Mir, and Paupuan, among others; notably, loanwords are sometimes taken from Japanese when the terms are specific to Japanese culture. Today, the language has become a cultural indicator of identity and ethnic pride, especially with young Torres Strait Islanders.