Tuvalu

Summary

Official Name
Population: 12,000
Principal Languages: English
International Conventions: CSICH (2012), UNCRPD (2006)
General References: Bender, B. 1971, Bender and Rehg 1991
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for Tuvalu is 3. All are living languages. Of these, 1 is indigenous and 2 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 2 are institutional and 1 is developing.

Languages

English eng: Users: 800 in Tuvalu (Crystal 2003a), L2 users. Status: 1 (National). De facto national language. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Kiribati gil: Nui district: Nui island northwest of Funafuti capital, between Nanumanga and Nukufetau islands. Users: 100 in Tuvalu (2002 J. Leclerc). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Gilbertese, Ikiribati Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ikiribati
Tuvaluan tvl: Tuvalu, 7 of the 9 inhabited islands. Users: 10,000 in Tuvalu (2015 S. Ager). Total users in all countries: 14,730. Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto language of national identity, possible use in local courts, councils. First inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians coming from Samoa and Tonga. Unofficial language in Tuvalu. Gained speakers with the presence of Christian missionaries in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Mainly a trade language during pre-European times. Alternate Names: Ellice, Ellicean, Tuvalu Autonym: Te ’gana Tūvalu Classification: 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, Ellicean

Languages by Status

1 (National)

English

[eng] 1 (National). De facto national language. 800 in Tuvalu (Crystal 2003a), L2 users.

3 (Wider communication)

Tuvaluan

[tvl] 3 (Wider communication). De facto language of national identity, possible use in local courts, councils. First inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesians coming from Samoa and Tonga. Unofficial language in Tuvalu. Gained speakers with the presence of Christian missionaries in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Mainly a trade language during pre-European times. 10,000 in Tuvalu (2015 S. Ager). Total users in all countries: 14,730.

5 (Dispersed)

Kiribati

[gil] 5* (Dispersed). 100 in Tuvalu (2002 J. Leclerc).

Maps

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Tuvalu with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for Tuvalu 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 Tuvalu with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for Tuvalu 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 Tuvalu 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.

Tuvalu

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Contributions

Editorial Action