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| [[Namakura language|Namakura]] || {{ethnolink|nmk}} || [http://www.language-archives.org/language/nmk nmk] || Makura || style="text-align: right;" | {{formatnum:3750}} || [[Efate]], [[Shepherd Islands]] ([[Tongoa]], [[Tongariki]]) || [[NCV languages|NCV]] ||
| [[Namakura language|Namakura]] || {{ethnolink|nmk}} || [http://www.language-archives.org/language/nmk nmk] || Makura || style="text-align: right;" | {{formatnum:3750}} || [[Efate]], [[Shepherd Islands]] ([[Tongoa]], [[Tongariki]]) || [[NCV languages|NCV]] ||
|-
|-
| [[Naman language|Naman]] || {{ethnolink|lzl}} || [http://www.language-archives.org/language/lzl lzl] || Litzlitz || style="text-align: right;" | 15 || [[Malekula]] || [[NCV languages|NCV]] ||
| [[Litzlitz language|Naman]] || {{ethnolink|lzl}} || [http://www.language-archives.org/language/lzl lzl] || Litzlitz || style="text-align: right;" | 15 || [[Malekula]] || [[NCV languages|NCV]] ||
|-
|-
| [[Narango language|Narango]] || {{ethnolink|nrg}} || [http://www.language-archives.org/language/nrg nrg] || || style="text-align: right;" | 160 || [[Espiritu Santo]] || [[NCV languages|NCV]] ||
| [[Narango language|Narango]] || {{ethnolink|nrg}} || [http://www.language-archives.org/language/nrg nrg] || || style="text-align: right;" | 160 || [[Espiritu Santo]] || [[NCV languages|NCV]] ||
Revision as of 15:40, 20 June 2013
Vanuatu has three official languages, English , French , and Bislama , a creole language evolved from English. Bislama is the first language of many urban ni-Vanuatu , that is, the residents of Port Vila and Luganville . It is the most common second language elsewhere in the Vanuatu islands. It is similar to Tok Pisin of Papua New Guinea , and other nearby creoles.
In addition, however, there are over one hundred local languages spread over the archipelago. Vanuatu is considered to be the country with the highest density of languages per capita in the world, with an average of about 2,000 speakers for each indigenous language; only Papua New Guinea comes close. Some of these languages are very endangered , with only a handful of speakers, and indeed several have become extinct in recent times. Generally however, despite the low numbers for most of the indigenous languages, they are not considered especially vulnerable for extinction.[ 1]
Indigenous languages
Vanuatu is home to 112 separate indigenous languages, of which 3 went extinct in recent decades. They are listed below.
Many of the languages are named after the island they are spoken on, though some of the larger islands have several different languages. Espiritu Santo and Malakula are the most linguistically diverse, with about two dozen languages each.
It is sometimes difficult to distinguish when these represent a unified language or a network of dialects. Uripiv, for example, is a dialect continuum spoken across several islands in Malampa Province .
Language classification
All languages of Vanuatu are Oceanic .
There are three Polynesian outlier languages in Vanuatu, all of which assigned to the Futunic languages subgroup: Emae , Mele-Fila and Futuna-Aniwa . The remaining 109 languages belong to various branches of the putative Southern Oceanic subgroup of Oceanic.
The classification below is to be taken as merely indicative, considering the notorious difficulty of identifying discrete genealogical subgroups in situations of linkage or language continuums such as Vanuatu.
List of Vanuatu languages
The table below lists all the indigenous languages spoken in Vanuatu. Each language is named according to the recommendation of experts on the language, and the table also provides alternate names under which it has been known. It also indicates the language’s geographical location, a number of speakers, and provides links to corresponding Ethnologue entries and to an OLAC list of media resources on the language.[ 2]
Tip: Click on the column title to change the sort order.
Language
Ethn.
OLAC
Other names
Speakers
Region
Family
Notes
Akei
tsr
tsr
Tasiriki
650
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Amblong
alm
alm
300
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Anejom̃
aty
aty
Aneityum
900
Aneityum
SV
Aore
aor
aor
0
Espiritu Santo , Aore
NCV
Apma
app
app
7,800
Pentecost
NCV
Araki
akr
akr
8
Araki
NCV
Aulua
aul
aul
750
Malekula
NCV
Avava
tmb
tmb
Katbol
700
Malekula
NCV
Axamb
ahb
ahb
Ahamb
750
Malekula
NCV
Baetora
btr
btr
1,330
Maewo
NCV
Baki
bki
bki
Burumba, Paki
350
Epi
NCV
Bierebo
bnk
bnk
Bonkovia-yevali
800
Epi
NCV
Bieria
brj
brj
Bieri, Vovo, Wowo
25
Epi
NCV
Burmbar
vrt
vrt
Banan Bay, Vartavo
900
Malekula
NCV
Butmas-Tur
bnr
bnr
Ati
520
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Central Maewo
mwo
mwo
1,400
Maewo
NCV
Daakie
ptv
ptv
Port-Vato
1,300
Ambrym
NCV
Daakaka
bpa
bpa
Baiap, South Ambrym
1,200
Ambrym
NCV
Dixon Reef
dix
dix
50
Malekula
NCV
Dorig
wwo
wwo
Wetamut
300
Banks Islands (Gaua )
NCV
Emae
mmw
mmw
400
Shepherd Islands (Emae )
Polynesian
Eton
etn
etn
500
Efate
NCV
Fortsenal
frt
frt
Kiai
450
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Futuna-Aniwa
fut
fut
West Futuna
1,500
Futuna , Aniwa
Polynesian
Hano
lml
lml
Raga
6,500
Pentecost
NCV
Hiw
hiw
hiw
Hiu
280
Torres Islands (Hiw )
NCV
Ifo
iff
iff
0
Erromango
SV
Kwamera
tnk
tnk
3,500
Tanna
SV
Koro
krf
krf
250
Banks Islands (Gaua )
NCV
Lamenu
lmu
lmu
Lamen, Varmali
850
Epi , Lamen
NCV
Lakon
lkn
lkn
Lakona; Vurē
800
Banks Islands (Gaua )
NCV
Lamap
psw
psw
Port Sandwich
1,200
Malekula
NCV
Larevat
lrv
lrv
Laravat
680
Malekula
NCV
Lehali
tql
tql
200
Banks Islands (Ureparapara )
NCV
Lelepa
lpa
lpa
Havannah Harbour
400
Lelepa , Efate
NCV
Lemerig
lrz
lrz
Sasar
2
Banks Islands (Vanua Lava )
NCV
Lenakel
tnl
tnl
11,500
Tanna
SV
Letemboi
nms
nms
Small Nambas
800
Malekula
NCV
Lewo
lww
lww
Varsu
2,200
Epi
NCV
Lonwolwol
crc
crc
West Ambrym
1,200
Ambrym
NCV
Lorediakarkar
lnn
lnn
850
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Lo-Toga
lht
lht
Loh, Toga
580
Torres Islands (Lo , Toga , Tegua )
NCV
Löyöp
urr
urr
Lehalurup
240
Banks Islands (Ureparapara )
NCV
Mae
mme
mme
Dirak
1,000
Malekula
NCV
Maii
mmm
mmm
180
Epi
NCV
Malfaxal
mlx
mlx
Na’ahai
600
Malekula
NCV
Malua Bay
mll
mll
Middle Nambas
500
Malekula
NCV
Maragus
mrs
mrs
15
Malekula
NCV
Maskelynes
klv
klv
1,100
Malekula , Maskelynes Islands
NCV
Mavea
mkv
mkv
Mav̋ea, Mafea
34
Mavea
NCV
Mele-Fila
mxe
mxe
Ifira-Mele
3,500
Efate , Mele , Ifira
Polynesian
Merei
lmb
lmb
400
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Morouas
mrp
mrp
150
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Mota
mtt
mtt
750
Banks Islands (Mota )
NCV
Mpotovoro
mvt
mvt
430
Malekula
NCV
Mwerlap
mrm
mrm
Merlav
1,100
Banks Islands (Merelava )
NCV
Mwesen
msn
msn
Mosina
10
Banks Islands (Vanua Lava )
NCV
Mwotlap
mlv
mlv
Motlav
2,100
Banks Islands (Motalava )
NCV
Nahavaq
sns
sns
South West Bay
700
Malekula
NCV
Nakanamanga
llp
llp
9,500
Efate , Shepherd Islands (Nguna , Tongoa )
NCV
Namakura
nmk
nmk
Makura
3,750
Efate , Shepherd Islands (Tongoa , Tongariki )
NCV
Naman
lzl
lzl
Litzlitz
15
Malekula
NCV
Narango
nrg
nrg
160
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Nasarian
nvh
nvh
5
Malekula
NCV
Navut
nsw
nsw
520
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Nese
160
Malekula
NCV
Neverver
lgk
lgk
Lingarak
1,250
Malekula
NCV
Ninde
mwi
mwi
Labo
1,100
Malekula
NCV
Nokuku
nkk
nkk
160
Espiritu Santo
NCV
North Tanna
tnn
tnn
5,000
Tanna
SV
North Ambrym
mmg
mmg
5,250
Ambrym
NCV
Northeast Ambae
omb
omb
Lolovoli; Aoba
5,000
Ambae
NCV
Nume
tgs
tgs
Tarasag
700
Banks Islands (Gaua )
NCV
Olrat
olr
olr
3
Banks Islands (Gaua )
NCV
Paama
paa
paa
Paamese
6,000
Paama
NCV
Piamatsina
ptr
ptr
150
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Polonombauk
plb
plb
220
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Repanbitip
rpn
rpn
90
Malekula
NCV
Rerep
pgk
pgk
Pangkumu, Tisman)
380
Malekula
NCV
Roria
rga
rga
Mores
75
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Saa
sax
sax
Sa
2,500
Pentecost
NCV
Sakao
sku
sku
Hog Harbour, N'kep
4,000
Espiritu Santo , Sakao
NCV
Shark Bay
ssv
ssv
450
Espiritu Santo , Litaro
NCV
Sie
erg
erg
Se, Erromanga
1,900
Erromango
SV
Ske
ske
ske
Seke
600
Pentecost
NCV
South Efate
erk
erk
Erakor
6,000
Efate
NCV
Southeast Ambrym
tvk
tvk
3,700
Ambrym
NCV
Southwest Tanna
nwi
nwi
5,000
Tanna
SV
Sowa
sww
sww
20
Pentecost
NCV
Sungwadia
mrb
mrb
Marino; North Maewo
500
Maewo
NCV
Tamambo
mla
mla
Malo; Tamabo
4,000
Malo
NCV
Tambotalo
tls
tls
50
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Tangoa
tgp
tgp
800
Tangoa
NCV
Tasmate
tmt
tmt
150
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Tiale
mnl
mnl
400
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Tolomako
tlm
tlm
900
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Tutuba
tmi
tmi
500
Espiritu Santo , Tutuba
NCV
Unua
onu
onu
Onua
520
Malekula
NCV
Ura
uur
uur
6
Erromango
SV
Uripiv-Wala-Rano-Atchin
upv
upv
Uripiv
9,000
Malekula
NCV
Valpei
vlp
vlp
300
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Vao
vao
vao
1,900
Vao , Malekula
NCV
V’ënen Taut
nmb
nmb
Big Nambas
3,350
Malekula
NCV
Vera’a
vra
vra
Vatrata
500
Banks Islands (Vanua Lava )
NCV
Vinmavis
vnm
vnm
Neve’ei
500
Malekula
NCV
Volow
mlv
mlv
Valuwa
0
Banks Islands (Mota Lava )
NCV
Vunapu
vnp
vnp
380
Espiritu Santo
NCV
Vurës
msn
msn
Vureas, Mosina
2,000
Banks Islands (Vanua Lava )
NCV
Wailapa
wlr
wlr
100
Espiritu Santo
NCV
West Ambae
nnd
nnd
Duidui
8,700
Ambae
NCV
Whitesands
tnp
tnp
7,500
Tanna
SV
Wusi
wsi
wsi
300
Espiritu Santo
NCV
References
^ Nettle, Daniel and Suzanne Romaine (2000). Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages . Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 9. ISBN 0-19-515246-8 .
^ The bibliographical references that underlie this table can be found with each individual language entry.
Lynch, John; Crowley, Terry (2001). Languages of Vanuatu: A new survey and bibliography . Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies. ISBN 0-85883-469-3
External links
Sovereign states Associated states of New Zealand Dependencies and other territories