Roviana

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A language of Solomon Islands

ISO 639-3
rug
Alternate Names
Robiana, Rubiana, Ruviana
Autonym
Roviana
User Population

25,870, all users. L1 users: 9,870 (1999 SIL). L2 users: 16,000 (1987 UBS).

Location

Western province: north central New Georgia, Roviana and Vonavona lagoons.

Language Maps
Language Status

3 (Wider communication). Being supplanted as lingua franca by Pijin [pis] in Western Province; now used as L2 in Western Province and as far north as Buka and Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, mainly by those over 30 years old.

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, Meso Melanesian, New Ireland, South New Ireland-Northwest Solomonic, New Georgia, West
Typology

VSO; definite and indefinite common articles; passives; 16 consonants and 5 vowels; verb serialization; inclusive/exclusive pronouns; alienable/inalienable possession.

Language Use

Also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Bilua [blb], Duke [nke], Fagani [faf], Kusaghe [ksg], Simbo [sbb], Touo [tqu], Ughele [uge].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 30%–60%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 2017.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Roviana
Writing

Latin script [Latn].