Nukuoro language
| Nukuoro | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Micronesia |
| Region | Western Nukuoro Island |
|
Native speakers
|
860 in Micronesia (1993) 140 in the U.S. (no date) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | nuku1260 |
The Nukuoro language is a Polynesian language, spoken by about 860 people on the Nukuoro atoll and on Pohnpei in Micronesia.
Nukuoro is a coral atoll and Polynesian outlier found within the Pohnpei District within the Federated States of Micronesia. Despite the fact that Nukuoro is a Micronesian atoll, from a typological perspective, Nukuoro is a Polynesian language that descends from the Austronesian node. Its most immediate node is the Elliciean node. This language is most closely related to Kapingamarangi, Rennellese, and Vaeakau-Taumako sporting lexical similarity (Carroll 1965). These languages are not mutually intelligible, but they can make themselves understand each other with a little bit of difficulty. Bilingualism is not a common feature among the Nukuoro people, although the majority of the older Nukuoro population have a considerable amount of knowledge in Ponapean, sometimes know some German, Japanese, English, or another Micronesian language. This second language is usually reserved for the classroom, Bible reading, conversation with visitors, etc.
Nukuoro was colonized multiple times, by Germany, Japan, and then also some by the United States of America in its lifetime. The history that local legend has it says that immigrants from another island first populated Nukuoro. Two canoes from Samoa under the leadership of Chief Ko Wave and his priestly father Teakhu lead this movement (Newton).
The primary language spoken on the Nukuoro atoll is Nukuoro. In 1965 there were approximately 400 speakers. 260 of these speakers resided on the atoll, 125 lived on Ponape, the District Center, and a few others were spread out on the other islands in the District (Carroll 1965). The current population is estimated to be at about 1000 speakers. The Nukuoro people are very dependent on the sea. They have a strong respect for the marine culture, and are very well known for their skillfully created wooden sculptures. These often are carved to represent marine animals.
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