Wallisian

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A language of Wallis and Futuna

Alternate Names

East Uvea, East Uvean, Uvean, Wallisien

Fakaʻuvea

User Population

5,260 in Wallis and Futuna (2018 census). Total users in all countries: 25,040.

Wallis Island.

Language Status

5 (Developing). De facto language of provincial identity in Wallis (Uvea) Island.

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, East Uvean-Niuafo’ou

Some dialect divergence between Wallis Islands and New Caledonia. Not functionally intelligible with Tongan [ton].

Used by all.

Language Development

Bible: 2011.

Language Resources

OLAC resources in and about Wallisian

Latin script [Latn].

Also spoken in:

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New Caledonia

Language NameWallisian

User Population

18,100 in New Caledonia (2014 census), based on ethnicity, estimated from global population figure for Futunians and Wallisians (2014 census). Ethnic population: 23,000 (2012 J. Leclerc).

Location

South province: mainly Nouméa.

Alternate Names

East Uvean, Uvean, Wallisien

Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Language Use

Some young people, all adults. Also use Tayo [cks].

Other Comments

Non-indigenous. Originally from Uvea Island in Wallis and Futuna. Borrowed heavily from Tongan [ton]. Tongan increasingly influenced by English [eng] and Wallisian by French [fra]. Christian.

View other languages of New Caledonia