| New Caledonian | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | New Caledonia |
| Linguistic classification | Austronesian
|
| Glottolog | newc1243 |
The thirty New Caledonian languages form a branch of the Southern Oceanic languages. Their speakers are known as Kanaks. One language is extinct, one is critically endangered, 4 are severely endangered, 5 are endangered, and another 5 are vulnerable to extinction.
Typology
The Cèmuhî, Paicî, Drubea, Numèè, and Kwenyii languages are tonal.[1]
Other than phonemically contrastive tone, typological features in New Caledonian languages that are typically unusual for Oceanic languages include nasalized vowels, very large vowel inventories, retroflex consonants, and voiceless nasals.[2]
Languages
)
Populations of the native languages of New Caledonia. Grey, green, and red are the languages of the New Caledonian branch.
- Loyalty Islands
- Drehu (Lifou Island)
- Iaai (Ouvéa Island)
- Nengone (Maré Island)
- New Caledonian
- Southern New Caledonian
- Extreme Southern
- Ndrumbea (vulnerable)
- Numèè
- South Southern
- Xaracuu–Xaragure:
- Xârâcùù
- Xârâgurè (endangered)
- Zire–Tiri:
- Tîrî (endangered)
- Zire †
- Wailic
- Ajië
- Arhö (critically endangered)
- Arhâ (severely endangered)
- Neku (severely endangered)
- Orowe (endangered)
- Extreme Southern
- Northern New Caledonian
- Vamale*
- Haveke*
- Haeke*
- Central Northern
- Cèmuhî
- Paicî
- North Northern
- Pwaamei (endangered)
- Pwapwa (severely endangered)
- Bwatoo
- Hmwaveke
- Waamwang
- Fwâi
- Jawe (vulnerable)
- Nemi (vulnerable)
- Pije (severely endangered)
- Extreme Northern
- Caac (vulnerable)
- Kumak (vulnerable)
- Yuanga
- Nyâlayu
- Southern New Caledonian
The languages of the northern Voh–Koné area (*) are often discussed as a unit.
List of New Caledonian languages
| Language | Alternative Spelling | Speakers | Commune(s) | Province | Customary Area | Dialects | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nyâlayu language | Yalâyu | 1522 | Ouégoa, Belep, Pouébo | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | Pooc/Haat (Belep) ; Puma/Paak/Ovac (Arama, Balade) |
| 2 | Kumak language | Fwa Kumak | 1100 (2009) | Koumac, Poum | North Province | Hoot ma Waap | Nêlêmwâ (Nénéma tribe), Nixumwak |
| 3 | Caac language | - | 890 | Pouébo | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | Cawac (variant spoken at Conception in Le Mont-Dore since 1865) |
| 4 | Yuanga language | Yûâga | 1992 | Kaala-Gomen, Ouégoa | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | - |
| 5 | Jawe language | - | 729 | Hienghène, Pouébo | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | - |
| 6 | Nemi language | Nèmi | 768 | Hienghène | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | Ouanga, Ouélis, Kavatch |
| 7 | Fwâi language | - | 1131 | Hienghène | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | - |
| 8 | Pije language | - | 161 | Hienghène | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | Tha (Tiendanite) |
| 9 | Pwaamei language | - | 219 | Voh | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | Naakâ (Temala, Voh); Dhaak/Yaak (Fatenaoue) |
| 10 | Pwapwâ language | - | 16 | Voh | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | - |
| 11 | Voh-Koné dialects | - | 878 | Voh, Koné | North Province | Hoot Ma Waap | Bwatoo (Oudjo, Népou, Baco and once spoken on Koniène Island), Haeke, Haveke, Hmwaeke, Havele, Vamale (Haute Tipindje), Waamwang |
| 12 | Cèmuhî language | Camuki | 2051 | Touho, Koné, and Poindimié | North Province | Paici Camuki | - |
| 13 | Paicî language | Paici | 5498 | Poindimié, Ponérihouen, Koné, Poya | North Province | Paici-Camuki | - |
| 14 | Ajië language | A'jië | 4044 | Houaïlou, Ponérihouen, Poya, Kouaoua | North Province | Ajië-Aro | - |
| 15 | Arhâ language | - | 35 | Poya | North Province | Ajië-Aro | - |
| 16 | Arhö language | Arö | 62 | Poya | North Province | Ajië-Aro | - |
| 17 | Orowe language | Abwébwé | 587 | Bourail | South Province | Ajië-Aro | - |
| 18 | Neku language | Néku | 221 | Bourail Moindou | South Province | Ajië-Aro | - |
| 19 | Sîchë | Zîchë, Sîshëë | 4 (extinct since April 2006) | Bourail, Moindou | South Province | Ajië-Aro | Sometimes considered a dialect of Ajië |
| 20 | Tîrî language | Tirî | 264 | La Foa, Sarraméa | South Province | Xaracuu | Tîrî, Mea |
| 21 | Xaracuu language | Xaracuu | 3784 | Canala, La Foa, Bouloupari | South Province | Xaracuu | - |
| 22 | Xârâgurè language | - | 566 | Thio, New Caledonia | South Province | Xaracuu | Language close to Xârâcùù |
| 23 | Ndrumbea language | Drubea | 946 | Païta, Dumbéa, Nouméa, Yaté | South Province | Djubéa-Kaponé | - |
| 24 | Numèè language | Numee/Kapone | 1814 | Yaté, Mont-Dore, Isle of Pines (New Caledonia) | South Province | Djubéa-Kaponé | Xêrê (Yaté), Wêê (île Ouen), kwênyii (Isle of Pines (New Caledonia)) |
| 25 | Nengone language | - | 6377 | Maré Island, Tiga | Loyalty Islands | Nengone | Iwateno (ceremonial/chiefly language) |
| 26 | Drehu language | - | 11338 | Lifou Island | Loyalty Islands | Drehu | Miny (ceremonial/chiefly language) |
| 27 | Iaai language | - | 1562 | Ouvéa Island | Loyalty Islands | Iaai | - |
| 28 | West Uvean language | Fagauvea | 1107 | Ouvéa Island | Loyalty Islands | Iaai |
References
- ^ Rivierre, Jean-Claude. 1993. Tonogenesis in New Caledonia. In Edmondson and Gregerson: Tonality in Austronesian languages, 155–173. Oceanic Linguistics Special Publication 24.
- ^ Blust, Robert (2013). The Austronesian languages. A-PL 008 (revised ed.). Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. hdl:1885/10191. ISBN 9781922185075.