Fijian

Fijian is a Austronesian language spoken in Fiji. It is an official language of Fiji, along with English and Hindi, and is spoken by the majority of the country's population.

History

The Fijian language has a long history, with the first known Fijian wordlist compiled by a European in 1809. The language has evolved over time, with influences from other languages such as English and Hindi.

Classification

Fijian is part of the Austronesian family of languages, which includes languages spoken in Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and Madagascar. Within this family, Fijian is part of the Oceanic subgroup, which includes languages spoken in the Pacific Islands.

Phonology

Fijian has a relatively simple phonology, with 21 phonemes: 5 vowels and 16 consonants. The language has a syllable structure that is relatively simple, with syllables typically consisting of a consonant followed by a vowel.

Grammar

Fijian grammar is characterized by a verb-subject-object word order, which is relatively rare among the world's languages. The language also has a complex system of pronouns, with different forms for singular, dual, and plural, and for inclusive and exclusive "we".

Vocabulary

The Fijian vocabulary has been influenced by other languages, particularly English and Hindi, due to the country's history of colonization and immigration. However, the language also has a rich native vocabulary, particularly in areas such as nature, family relationships, and traditional culture.

Writing system

Fijian is written using the Latin script, with a few modifications to represent the sounds of the language. The language was first written by European missionaries in the 19th century, and the current writing system has been in use since the late 19th century.

See also

• Fiji
• Austronesian languages
• Oceanic languages

References

Fijian Resources
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