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Niuafoʻou language

Language of Tonga's northernmost island From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Niuafoʻou language
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Niuafoʻou, or Niuafoʻouan, is the language spoken on Tonga's northernmost island, Niuafoʻou.

Quick Facts Native to, Native speakers ...
A speaker of Niuafoʻou

Niuafoʻouan has traditionally been classified as closest to ʻUvean and Tokelauan, in an East Uvean–Niuafoʻou branch. However, recent research[2] suggests that it is closest to its neighbour, Tongan, as one of the Tongic languages.

In September 2022 language campaigners called for it to be taught in primary schools on Niuafo’ou.[3]

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Phonology

The phonology of Niuafoʻou is similar to that of Tongan, with twelve consonants and five vowel phonemes.

More information Labial, Alveolar ...
More information Front, Central ...

Vowels are more centralized when unstressed. /i/ and /u/ are de-voiced under some conditions.[4]

Sometimes the phoneme /t/ is realized as a apico-alveolar flap (/ɾ/). /h/ is only realized as /h/ at the beginning of words. In the middle of words, it is either /ɦ/ or /x/.[4]

Syllable structure

Niuafoʻou has a very simple syllable structure, (C)V. However, it is apparently transitioning towards allowing consonant clusters, due to the influence of foreign languages and the de-voicing of vowels.[4]

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References

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