French Polynesia
PrintPrimary tabs
Austral
[aut] Austral (Tubuai) Islands. 3,000 (2007 census). About 2,000 L2 users. Ethnic population: 8,000. Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Tubuai-Rurutu Dialects: Raivavae, Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai. Mutually intelligible with Tahitian [tah]. Currently Raivavae, Rurutu, Tubuai and Rimatara dialects considered as dialects of Tahitian.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Tahitic Comments: Christian.
Chinese, Hakka
French
[fra] 178,000 in French Polynesia (2007 census). 35,000 monolinguals. About 74,000 L2 users. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (2004, Organic Law, No. 2004-192, Article 57). Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
Mangareva
[mrv] Gambier Islands, Mangareva island, Rikitea settlement. 600 (2011 census). Ethnic population: 1,340 on Gambier Islands; many throughout French Polynesia. Status: 7 (Shifting). Language of recognized nationality (2004, Organic Law, No. 2004-192, Article 57). Alternate Names: Mangarevan Dialects: Lexical similarity: 75% with Rarotongan [rar], 73% with Marquesan [mrq], 72% with Tuamotuan [pmt], 50%–68% with Tahitian [tah].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Marquesic Comments: Christian.
Marquesan, North
[mrq] Marquesas Islands: Nuku Hiva, Ua Huka, Ua Pou islands. Also in United States. 5,390 in French Polynesia (2007 census). Population total all countries: 6,000. Ethnic population: 5,400. Status: 7 (Shifting). Statutory language of national identity (2004, Organic Law, No. 2004-192, Article 57). Alternate Names: ’Eo ’Enana Dialects: Hatutu, Nuku Hiva, Ua Huka, Ua Pou. Wurm and Hattori (1981) list North Marquesan and South Marquesan [mqm] as 2 languages. North Marquesan dialects all inherently intelligible. 50% intelligibility of Tahitian [tah]. Lexical similarity: 45%–67% with Tahitian [tah], 73% with Mangareva [mrv] and Rarotonga [rar], 70% with Hawaiian [haw], 29% with Tuamotuan [pmt].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Marquesic Comments: Christian.
Marquesan, South
[mqm] Marquesas Islands: Hiva Oa, Tahuta, Fatu Hiva islands. 2,700 (2007 census). Ethnic population: 3,270. Status: 7 (Shifting). Statutory language of national identity (2004, Organic Law, No. 2004-192, Article 57). Dialects: Fatu Hiva, Hiva Oa, Tahuata. Dialects listed are inherently intelligible. Wurm and Hattori (1981) list North Marquesan [mrq] and South Marquesan as 2 languages.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Marquesic Comments: Christian.
Rapa
[ray] Austral Islands, Rapa (Rapa Iti) island, Ha’urei and ’Area. 300 (2007 census). Ethnic population: 480 (on island; many more on other islands, esp. Tahiti). Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Rapan Dialects: May be a dialect of Austral [aut].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central Comments: Christian.
Tahitian
[tah] Society Islands, some islands in Tuamotus including the Mihiroa group. Also in New Caledonia, New Zealand, Vanuatu. 63,000 in French Polynesia (2007 census). Population total all countries: 68,260. Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (2004, Organic Law, No. 2004-192, Article 57). Dialects: Lexical similarity: 85% with Rarotongan [rar], 76% with Hawaiian [haw].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Tahitic Comments: Christian.
Tuamotuan
[pmt] Tuamotu, Tahiti. 4,000 (2007 census). Ethnic population: 15,600 (In Tuamotu islands; many also on Tahiti). Status: 7 (Shifting). Statutory language of national identity (2004, Organic Law, No. 2004-192, Article 57). Alternate Names: Pa’umotu Dialects: Fangatau (Tupitimoake), Marangai, Napuka, Parata (Putahi), Reao, Tapuhoe, Vahitu. Lexical similarity: 83% with Rarotongan [rar], 77% with Hawaiian [haw].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Tahitic Comments: Christian.