| Also Known As: Erakor,Southern Efate,Fate
Description:
The South Efate language is a Nuclear Southern Oceanic language of the Malayo-Polynesian language family, spoken on the island of Efate in central Vanuatu. As of 2005, there are approximately 6,000 speakers who live in coastal villages from Pango to Eton. The language's grammar has been described by Nick Thieberger, who is working on a book of stories and dictionary of the language. The field recordings have been archived with Paradisec.
South Efate is closely related to Ngunese and to Lelepa. A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database(based purely on a small set of vocabulary items) places it in an Efate group that also includes North Efate. Based on certain shared features with southern Vanuatu languages (including echo-subject marking and a free form and preposed 1st singular possessive form), Lynch (2001) suggests it could form part of a southern Vanuatu subgroup which includes New Caledonia.
Anon. 1868. Nalag nig Efat. Trans. D. Morrison. Sydney: Mason, Firt, nigar asler (Mason, Firth and Co).
Anon. 1892. Tusi nalag Efate Niu Ebrites. Sydney: F. Cunninghame and Co.
Anon. 1979. Natus nalag (213 pp).
Bible. 1864. Nadus iskei nig Fat. Aneityum: Mission..... full article at Wikipedia |
