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Mwotlap

Mwotlap is an Austronesian language spoken in Vanuatu. Glottolog rates it threatened.

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Mwotlap · 13.7°S 167.7°E

Mwotlap (local pronunciation: [ŋ͡mʷɔtˈlap]; formerly known as Motlav) is an Oceanic language spoken by about 2,100 people in Vanuatu. The majority of speakers are found on the island of Motalava in the Banks Islands, with smaller communities in the islands of Ra (or Aya) and Vanua Lava, as well as migrant groups in the two main cities of the country, Santo and Port Vila.

Mwotlap was first described in any detail in 2001, by the linguist Alexandre François.

Volow, which used to be spoken on the same island, may be considered a dialect or a separate language.

From Wikipedia · Mwotlap language · CC BY-SA 4.0

Words in Mwotlap

MeaningWordRomanization
womanlōqōvēn
personet*
namehe*
eyemtE*
eardElNE*
nosemdi*
toothlwe*
tonguexaime*
handmne*
blooddai*
bonehyi*
skinpni*
kneekwu*
breastsis*
liverbai*
waterbē
fireep
sunlo*
starbit*
stonebet*
mountainto*
treenekwetenxe*
leafnayo*
nightkwoN*
fishmomo*
lousexit*
onetwax*
twoyo*
Iino*
youinek*

* in the simplified ASJP transcription

Most similar languages

Vocabulary

Grammar

Vocabulary compares 40 basic words (ASJP); grammar compares 195 features (Grambank). Similar is not always related.

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Glottolog · motl1237 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · mlv