Teanu

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A language of Solomon Islands

ISO 639-3
tkw
Alternate Names
Buma, Puma
User Population

800 (2012 A. François).

Location

Temotu province: Vanikolo island, Emua, Lale, Lavaka, and Puma villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

7 (Shifting).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Temotu, Utupua-Vanikoro
Typology

SVO; prepositions; noun head initial; dual number; no articles; 20 consonants and 10 vowels; stress on penultimate syllable; inclusive/exclusive pronouns; verb serialization.

Language Use

Shifting to Pijin [pis] (Wurm 2007). Used as L2 by Lovono [vnk], Tanema [tnx].

Language Development

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

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Teanu
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Previously 3 tribal districts corresponded to 3 languages: Tanema [tnx] south, Lovono [vnk] northwest, Teanu [tnx] northeast. Tanema population now dispersed on the island for more than a century and blended with Melanesian population, while most of south coast settled by Polynesians.