Tuvaluan
A language of Tuvalu
ISO/DIS 639-3: tvl
Population 10,670 in Tuvalu (1998). Population total all countries: 13,051.
Region Tuvalu, 7 of the 9 inhabited islands. Also spoken in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand.
Alternate names Ellice, Ellicean, Tuvalu
Dialects North Tuvaluan (Nanumanga, Nanumea, Niutao), South Tuvaluan (Nukufetau, Vaitupu, Funafuti, Nukulaelae). Not intelligible with Samoan, which was formerly used as a mission language. Tuvalu is intelligible with Tokelau. The southern dialect is official.
Classification Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, Samoic-Outlier, Ellicean
Language use Official language. Vigorous.
Language development Literacy rate in first language: Most people. Bible: 1987.
Comments Little Tuvalu literature is available. Christian
Kiribati
A language of Kiribati
ISO/DIS 639-3: gil
Population 58,320 in Kiribati (1987). Population total all countries: 67,790.
Region Also spoken in Fiji, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.
Alternate names I-Kiribati, Gilbertese, Ikiribati
Dialects Banaban. North-south dialect division. In Tuvalu, the Nui dialect is inherently intelligible with Kiribati, but has vocabulary and pronunciation differences. Lexical similarity 26% with Ponapean.
Classification Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ikiribati
Language use National language. Vigorous. Only 30% of the speakers are effectively bilingual in Kiribati and English.
Language development Most are literate in Kiribati, but little material is available. Dictionary. Bible: 1893–1954.
Comments The language and speakers are called 'I-Kiribati'. VOS. Fishermen; sailors; agriculturalists; copra production. Christian. |
