Mortlockese

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A language of Micronesia

ISO 639-3
mrl
Alternate Names
Mortlock, Nomoi
User Population

5,900 (1989 census). 1,690 Upper Mortlock, 1,760 Mid Mortlock, 2,460 Lower Mortlock, about 1,000 elsewhere.

Location

Chuuk state: Mortlock islands southeast of Chuuk islands; some on Pohnpei island.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b* (Threatened).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Pohnpeic-Chuukic, Chuukic
Dialects

Upper Mortlock, Mid Mortlock, Lower Mortlock. 75% intelligibility of Puluwatese [puw], 18% of Satawalese [stw], 8% of Woleaian [woe]. Lexical similarity: 80%–85% with Chuukese [chk], 83% with Puluwatese, 82% with Satawalese, 81% with Carolinian [cal], 78% with Woleaian, 72% with Ulithian [uli].

Language Use

Vigorous. Also use Chuukese [chk].

Language Development

NT: 1883.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mortlockese
Writing

Latin script [Latn].