Niuafoʻou language
Language of Tonga's northernmost island / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Niuafoʻou, or Niuafoʻouan, is the language spoken on Tonga's northernmost island, Niuafoʻou.
Quick Facts Native to, Native speakers ...
Niuafoʻou | |
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Ko te lea faka Niuafoʻou | |
Native to | Tonga |
Native speakers | 500 (2015)[1] |
Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | num |
Glottolog | niua1240 |
Niuafoʻou is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger |
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Niuafoʻouan has traditionally been classified as closest to ʻUvean and Tokelauan, in an East Uvean–Niuafoʻou branch. However, recent research[2] suggests that it is closest to its neighbour, Tongan, as one of the Tongic languages.
In September 2022 language campaigners called for it to be taught in primary schools on Niuafo’ou.[3]