Languages of French Polynesia
See language map.[See also SIL publications on the languages of French Polynesia.]
French Overseas Territory of French Polynesia. 256,000. National or official languages: French, Tahitian. Includes Marquesas Islands, Gambier Islands, Austral Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, Tahiti and Society Islands. Literacy rate: 82%–95%. Immigrant languages: Rapa Nui, Rarotongan (870). Information mainly from N. Besnier 1992; S. Wurm and S. Hattori 1981. The number of individual languages listed for French Polynesia is 9. Of those, all are living languages.
| Austral | [aut]
8,000 (1987). Austral (Tubuai) Islands.
Alternate names: Tubuai-Rurutu.
Dialects: Raivavae, Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Tahitic
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| Chinese, Hakka | [hak]
19,200 in French Polynesia (1987).
Alternate names: Hakka.
Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
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| French | [fra]
25,700 in French Polynesia (2000).
Classification: Indo-European, Italic, Romance, Italo-Western, Western, Gallo-Iberian, Gallo-Romance, Gallo-Rhaetian, Oïl, French
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| Mangareva | [mrv]
1,600 (1987). Gambier Islands, Mangareva Island, Rikitea settlement.
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, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Marquesic
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| Marquesan, North | [mrq]
3,400 in French Polynesia (Wurm and Hattori 1981). Population total all countries: 3,690. Marquesas Islands: Hatutu, Nuku Hiva, Ua Huka, Ua Pou islands. Also in United States.
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 with 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, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Marquesic
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| Marquesan, South | [mqm]
2,100 (Wurm and Hattori 1981). Marquesas Islands: Hiva Oa, Tahuta, Fatu Hiva islands.
Dialects: Hiva Oa, Tahuta, Fatu Hiva. Dialects listed are inherently intelligible. Wurm and Hattori (1981) list North Marquesan as a separate language.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Marquesic
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| Rapa | [ray]
520 (1998 K. Rutter). Austral Islands, Rapa (Rapa Iti) Island, Ha’urei and ’Area.
Alternate names: Rapan.
Dialects: May be a dialect of Austral [aut].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central
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| Tahitian | [tah]
117,000 in French Polynesia (1977 census). several thousand non-Tahitians. Population total all countries: 124,260. Society Islands and some islands in the Tuamotus including the Mihiroa group. Also in New Caledonia, New Zealand, Vanuatu.
Dialects: Lexical similarity: 85% with Rarotongan [rar], 76% with Hawaiian [haw].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Tahitic
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| Tuamotuan | [pmt]
14,400 (1987). 6,700 on Tuamotu (1977 census), 2,000 in Tahiti (Voegelin and Voegelin 1977). Tuamotu, Tahiti.
Alternate names: Pa’umotu.
Dialects: Vahitu, Tapuhoe, Napuka, Reao, Fangatau (Tupitimoake), Parata (Putahi), Marangai. Lexical similarity: 83% with Rarotongan [rar], 77% with Hawaiian [haw].
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, East, Central, Tahitic
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