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Ontong Java language
Language

Ontong Java is a Polynesian language located on the Ontong Java Atoll (native name Luangiua, formerly Lord Howe atoll), in Solomon Islands. It has two dialects, Luangiua and Pelau; the name Luangiua is also commonly used to refer to the Ontong Java language as a whole.

Ontong Java is commonly used by all speakers, young and old. There are approximately 2,370 residents of Ontong Java Atoll and has an estimated 2,400 speakers living on the atoll.

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Classification

Ontong Java is closely related to the Ellicean languages of Polynesia and to Sikaiana, Takuu, and Nukumanu in Papua New Guinea.4

Phonology

The phoneme inventory of this language is poorly studied, and many sources have conflicting phoneme inventories.5: 226 6

Consonants78
LabialAlveolarVelarGlottal
Nasalmŋ
Plosivepkʔ
Fricativevsh
Laterall9
Vowels10
FrontCentralBack
Highiu
Mideo
Lowa

An older source lists two additional vowels, /ɑ/ and /ə/.11

Grammar

Ontong Java word order is normally VSO12 and SVO.13

Notes

Further reading

  • Thorpe, Mary Anne (1968). A Transformational-generative Syntax of Luangiua (Thesis). University of Auckland.
  • Hogbin, H. I. B. (1930). "Notes on a grammar of the language of Ontong Java". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 5 (4): 823–853. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00090534.

References

  1. "Luangiua". Glottolog. Retrieved 2024-07-06. https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/onto1237 ↩

  2. Salmond, Anne (1974). A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 256. https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm ↩

  3. "Ontong Java". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2019-10-10. https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv ↩

  4. "Ontong Java". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2019-10-10. https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv ↩

  5. Salmond, Anne (1974). A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 256. https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm ↩

  6. Lanyon-Orgill, Peter A. (1944). A Study of the Leuangiua Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Luzac & Co. p. 24. ↩

  7. Salmond, Anne (1974). A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 256. https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm ↩

  8. Krupa, Viktor (1973). Polynesian Languages: A Survey of Research. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 108. https://archive.org/details/polynesianlangua0000krup ↩

  9. This source says there is one liquid consonant (r / l), but does not specify which one. ↩

  10. Salmond, Anne (1974). A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 256. https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm ↩

  11. Lanyon-Orgill, Peter A. (1944). A Study of the Leuangiua Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Luzac & Co. p. 24. ↩

  12. "Ontong Java". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2019-10-10. https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv ↩

  13. Tomlin, Russell S. (2014-02-03). Basic Word Order (RLE Linguistics B: Grammar): Functional Principles. Routledge. ISBN 9781317933793. 9781317933793 ↩