Northern Mariana Islands

Summary

Official Name: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Sovereignty Status: Partly self-governing insular area in a commonwealth association with the United States
Population: 51,500
General Remarks: Includes Saipan, Tinian, Rota, Agrigan, Alamagan and 10 other islands or island groups
Principal Languages: English
Literacy Rate: 97% (Roser and Ortiz-Ospina 2018)
General References: Bender, B. 1971, Bender and Capelle 1996, Bender and Rehg 1991, Ellis 1991
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for Northern Mariana Islands is 4. All are living languages. Of these, 3 are indigenous and 1 is non-indigenous. Furthermore, 3 are institutional and 1 is in trouble. Also listed are 4 unestablished languages.

Languages

Carolinian cal: Widespread. Users: 2,420 (2000 census). No monolinguals. Status: 4 (Educational). Statutory language of national identity (1978, Constitution, Article 22(3)), co-official with English [eng] and Chamorro [cha]. Alternate Names: Saipan Carolinian, Southern Carolinian, “Gupallao” (pej.) Autonym: Refalúwasch Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Pohnpeic-Chuukic, Chuukic
Chamorro cha: Widespread. Users: 14,200 in Northern Mariana Islands (2005 UNSD). Very few monolinguals. Status: 3 (Wider communication). Statutory language of national identity (1978, Constitution, Article 22(3)), dominant indigenous language; co-official with English [eng] and Carolinian [cal]. Alternate Names: Chamorru, Tjamoro Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Chamorro
Chinese, Mandarin cmn: Widespread. Users: 11,100 in Northern Mariana Islands (2017). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Chinese
English eng: Widespread. Users: 58,300 in Northern Mariana Islands, all users. L1 users: 9,600 in Northern Mariana Islands (2019 World Factbook). L2 users: 48,700 (2019). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1978, Constitution, Article 22(3)), co-official with Chamorro [cha], Carolinian [cal]. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Japanese jpn: Widespread. Users: 1,000 in Northern Mariana Islands (2000 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Japonic
Korean kor: Widespread. Users: 2,230 in Northern Mariana Islands (2000 census). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Koreanic
Tagalog tgl: Widespread. Users: 15,500 in Northern Mariana Islands (2005 UNSD). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Greater Central Philippine, Central Philippine, Tagalog
Tanapag tpv: Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan, west central coast, Tanapag community. Users: 10 (2011 SIL), decreasing. Status: 7 (Shifting). Alternate Names: Northern Carolinian, Talaabog, Talaabwogh Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Pohnpeic-Chuukic, Chuukic

Languages by Status

1 (National)

English

[eng] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1978, Constitution, Article 22(3)), co-official with Chamorro [cha], Carolinian [cal]. 58,300 in Northern Mariana Islands, all users. L1 users: 9,600 in Northern Mariana Islands (2019 World Factbook). L2 users: 48,700 (2019).

3 (Wider communication)

Chamorro

[cha] 3 (Wider communication). Statutory language of national identity (1978, Constitution, Article 22(3)), dominant indigenous language; co-official with English [eng] and Carolinian [cal]. 14,200 in Northern Mariana Islands (2005 UNSD). Very few monolinguals.

4 (Educational)

Carolinian

[cal] 4 (Educational). Statutory language of national identity (1978, Constitution, Article 22(3)), co-official with English [eng] and Chamorro [cha]. 2,420 (2000 census). No monolinguals.

7 (Shifting)

Tanapag

[tpv] 7 (Shifting). 10 (2011 SIL), decreasing.

Unestablished

Chinese, Mandarin

[cmn] Unestablished. 11,100 in Northern Mariana Islands (2017).

Japanese

[jpn] Unestablished. 1,000 in Northern Mariana Islands (2000 census).

Korean

[kor] Unestablished. 2,230 in Northern Mariana Islands (2000 census).

Tagalog

[tgl] Unestablished. 15,500 in Northern Mariana Islands (2005 UNSD).

Maps

Guam and Northern Mariana Islands

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Northern Mariana Islands with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for Northern Mariana Islands is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of vitality. The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level.
The vitality levels and the color coding of the bars match the scheme used in the guide on How many languages are endangered? In this scheme, the levels and colors are as follows:
- Dark green = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Light green = Stable (EGIDS 5-6a) — The language is not being sustained by formal institutions, but It is still the norm in the home and community that all children learn and use the language.
- Red = Endangered (EGIDS 6b-9) — It is no longer the norm that children learn and use this language.
These three summary levels have been derived by grouping levels in the Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS), which is the more fine-grained scale that Ethnologue uses to assess the status of every language in terms of development versus endangerment; see the Language Status page for a description of the levels of that scale. See also the pages on Development and Endangerment for more discussion.
Language Status Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Northern Mariana Islands with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for Northern Mariana Islands is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of development or endangerment as measured on the EGIDS scale. (See the pages on Development and Endangerment for a fuller explanation.) The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level. Consult the Status listings for Northern Mariana Islands in order to see the specific languages for each level.
The color coding of the bars matches the color scheme used in the summary profile graphs on the navigation maps for the site. In this scheme, the EGIDS levels are grouped as follows:
- Purple = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Blue = Developing (EGIDS 5) — The language is in vigorous use, with literature in a standardized form being used by some though this is not yet widespread or sustainable.
- Green = Vigorous (EGIDS 6a) — The language is unstandardized and in vigorous use among all generations.
- Yellow = In trouble (EGIDS 6b-7) — Intergenerational transmission is in the process of being broken, but the child-bearing generation can still use the language so it is possible that revitalization efforts could restore transmission of the language in the home.
- Red = Dying (EGIDS 8a-9) — The only fluent users (if any) are older than child-bearing age, so it is too late to restore natural intergenerational transmission through the home; a mechanism outside the home would need to be developed.
- Black = Extinct (EGIDS 10) — The language has fallen completely out of use and no one retains a sense of ethnic identity associated with the language.

Northern Mariana Islands

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Guam and Northern Mariana Islands

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Contributions

Editorial Action