Ontong Java language explained

Ontong Java
Also Known As:	Luangiua
States:	Solomon Islands
Region:	Ontong Java Atoll
Date:	1999
Ref:	e18
Familycolor:	Austronesian
Fam5:	Ellicean
Iso3:	ojv
Glotto:	onto1237
Glottorefname:	Luangiua

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.^[1]

Ontong Java is commonly used by all speakers, young and old. There are approximately 2,370 residents^[2] 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.

Consonants!! Labial! Alveolar! Velar! Glottal

Nasal	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Plosive	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Fricative	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Lateral		pronounced as /link/^[3]

Vowels!!Front!Central!Back

High	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Mid	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Low		pronounced as /link/

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

Grammar

Ontong Java word order is normally VSO and SVO.^[4]

References

• Book: Pacific Languages in Education. Mugler. France. Lynch. John. 1996. [e-mail]. 9789820201231. en.

External links

• Materials on Ontong Java are included in the open access Arthur Capell collections (AC1 and AC2) held by Paradisec.

Further reading

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

Notes and References

1. Web site: Luangiua. Glottolog. en. 2024-07-06.
2. Web site: Ontong Java. Ethnologue. en. 2019-10-10.
3. This source says there is one liquid consonant (pronounced as /r/ / pronounced as /l/), but does not specify which one.
4. Book: Tomlin, Russell S.. Basic Word Order (RLE Linguistics B: Grammar): Functional Principles. 2014-02-03. Routledge. 9781317933793. en.