Tuvaluan

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A language of Tuvalu

ISO 639-3
tvl
Alternate Names
Ellice, Ellicean, Tuvalu
Population

10,700 in Tuvalu (1998). Population total all countries: 13,080.

Location

Tuvalu, 7 of the 9 inhabited islands. Also in Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand.

Language Status

3 (Wider communication). De facto language of national identity, possible use in local courts, councils.

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, Samoic-Outlier, Ellicean
Dialects

North Tuvaluan (Nanumanga, Nanumea, Niutao), South Tuvaluan (Funafuti, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu). Not intelligible with Samoan [smo]. Formerly used as mission language. Intelligible of Tokelau [tkl]. Southern dialect is official.

Language Use

Vigorous.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: High. Bible: 1987.
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Christian.