Ontong Java language

{{Short description|Polynesian language spoken in Solomon Islands}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Ontong Java

|altname=Luangiua

|states=Solomon Islands

|region=Ontong Java Atoll

|speakers={{sigfig|2370|2}}

|date=1999

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Austronesian

|fam2=Malayo-Polynesian

|fam3=Oceanic

|fam4=Polynesian

|fam5=Ellicean

|iso3=ojv

|glotto=onto1237

|glottorefname=Luangiua

}}

Ontong Java is a Polynesian language located on the Ontong Java Atoll (formerly Lord Howe atoll), in Solomon Islands. It has two dialects, Luangiua and Pelau, named after the two principal inhabited islands; the name Luangiua is also commonly used to refer to the Ontong Java language as a whole.{{Cite web|url=https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/onto1237|title=Luangiua|website=Glottolog|language=en|access-date=2024-07-06}}

Ontong Java is commonly used by all speakers, young and old. There are approximately 2,370 residents{{Cite web|url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv|title=Ontong Java|website=Ethnologue|language=en|access-date=2019-10-10}} of Ontong Java Atoll and has an estimated 2,400 speakers living on the atoll.

Classification

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

Phonology

The phoneme inventory of this language is poorly studied, and many sources have conflicting phoneme inventories.{{rp|226}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+Consonants ! ! Labial ! Alveolar ! Velar ! Glottal
Nasal \| {{IPA link\|m}} \| \| {{IPA link\|ŋ}} \|
Plosive \| {{IPA link\|p}} \| \| {{IPA link\|k}} \| {{IPA link\|ʔ}}
Fricative \| {{IPA link\|v}} \| {{IPA link\|s}} \| \| {{IPA link\|h}}
Lateral \| \| {{IPA link\|l}}This source says there is one liquid consonant ({{IPA\|r}} / {{IPA\|l}}), but does not specify which one. \| \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+Consonants

!

! Labial

! Alveolar

! Velar

! Glottal

Nasal

| {{IPA link|m}}

|

| {{IPA link|ŋ}}

|

Plosive

| {{IPA link|p}}

|

| {{IPA link|k}}

| {{IPA link|ʔ}}

Fricative

| {{IPA link|v}}

| {{IPA link|s}}

|

| {{IPA link|h}}

Lateral

|

| {{IPA link|l}}This source says there is one liquid consonant ({{IPA|r}} / {{IPA|l}}), but does not specify which one.

|

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" \|+Vowels ! !Front !Central !Back
High \|{{IPA link\|i}} \| \|{{IPA link\|u}}
Mid \|{{IPA link\|e}} \| \|{{IPA link\|o}}
Low \| \|{{IPA link\|a}} \|

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

|+Vowels

!

|{{IPA link|i}}

|

|{{IPA link|u}}

Mid

|{{IPA link|e}}

|

|{{IPA link|o}}

Low

|

|{{IPA link|a}}

|

An older source lists two additional vowels, {{IPA|/ɑ/}} and {{IPA|/ə/}}.

Grammar

Ontong Java word order is normally VSO and SVO.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8FLIAgAAQBAJ&q=luanguia&pg=PA2032|title=Basic Word Order (RLE Linguistics B: Grammar): Functional Principles|last=Tomlin|first=Russell S.|date=2014-02-03|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317933793|language=en}}

Notes

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite book|title=A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language|url=https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm|url-access=registration|last=Salmond|first=Anne|year=1974|publisher=Mouton & Co. NV|location=The Hague, Netherlands|pages=[https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm/page/256 256]}}

{{cite book|title=Polynesian Languages: A Survey of Research|url=https://archive.org/details/polynesianlangua0000krup|url-access=registration|last=Krupa|first=Viktor|year=1973|publisher=Mouton & Co. NV|location=The Hague, Netherlands|pages=[https://archive.org/details/polynesianlangua0000krup/page/108 108]}}

{{cite book|title=A Study of the Leuangiua Language|last=Lanyon-Orgill|first=Peter A.|year=1944|publisher=Luzac & Co.|location=The Hague, Netherlands|pages=24}}

}}

{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VWNrvm_cb7MC&q=ontong+java+language&pg=PA1|title=Pacific Languages in Education|last1=Mugler|first1=France|last2=Lynch|first2=John|date=1996|publisher=editorips@usp.ac.fj|isbn=9789820201231|language=en}}

External links

Materials on Ontong Java are included in the open access Arthur Capell collections ([http://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/AC1 AC1] and [http://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/AC2 AC2]) held by Paradisec.