Malua Bay language explained

Malua Bay
Also Known As:Middle Nambas
Region:Malekula
State:Vanuatu
Ethnicity: (2001)
Speakers:500
Date:2009
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Austronesian
Fam2:Malayo-Polynesian
Fam3:Oceanic
Fam4:Southern Oceanic
Fam5:North-Central Vanuatu
Fam6:Central Vanuatu
Fam7:Malakula
Fam8:Malakula Coastal
Iso3:mll
Glotto:malu1245
Glottorefname:Malua Bay
Map:Lang Status 99-NE.svg

Malua Bay (also called Middle Nambas) is an Oceanic language spoken in northwest Malekula, Vanuatu. It has two main dialects: one spoken in Malua Bay and the other spoken in Espiegles Bay.

Classification

Malua, as an Oceanic language, belongs to the Austronesian language family. Furthermore, it belongs to the Malekula grouping within the Central Vanuatu subgroup, along with Nese, Botovro, Vovo, Vao, and others.[1]

Community

Malua is mainly spoken in Malua and Espiegles Bay, with a small amount of speakers in Port Vila. The majority of speakers are bilingual in Bislama, English, or French.[2]

Grammar

Malua contains a distinction between alienable and inalienable possession. Verbal predicates are marked for either realis or irrealis mood. It also exhibits nominative-accusative alignment.[3]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Lynch . John . 2016 . Malakula Internal Subgrouping: Phonological Evidence . Oceanic Linguistics . 55 . 2 . 399–431 . 0029-8115.
  2. Barbour . Julie . Wessels . Kanauhea . McCarter . Joe . 2018-07-31 . Language Contexts: Malua (Malekula Island, Vanuatu) . Language Documentation and Description . en-US . 15 . 0 . 10.25894/ldd142 . 2756-1224.
  3. Malua Bay: A description of the Malua Bay language (Malekula, Vanuatu) . University of Waikato . 2013 . masters . Kanauhea Janion . Wessels.