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Ontong Java language
open-in-new
<h2 id="classification">Classification</h2> <p>Ontong Java is closely related to the <a href="/facts/Ellicean_languages/Q0Cm2uk6">Ellicean languages</a> of Polynesia and to <a href="/facts/Sikaiana_language/gPGwylUV">Sikaiana</a>, <a href="/facts/Takuu_language/5ehPEvYr">Takuu</a>, and <a href="/facts/Nukumanu_language/dFwwuAtI">Nukumanu</a> in Papua New Guinea.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="phonology">Phonology</h2> <p>The phoneme inventory of this language is poorly studied, and many sources have conflicting phoneme inventories.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>: 226 <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p> Consonants<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th></th><th><a href="/facts/Labial_consonant/bv4MqTMf">Labial</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Alveolar_consonant/B6VkW2EX">Alveolar</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Velar_consonant/blWClp79">Velar</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Glottal_consonant/rMdEdLxH">Glottal</a></th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Nasal_stop/m6D3cVhe">Nasal</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_bilabial_nasal/1pd7NK2x">m</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_velar_nasal/r6v5q92L">ŋ</a></td><td></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Plosive/okC9pztc">Plosive</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_bilabial_plosive/w4M9Igp6">p</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_velar_plosive/dDppVb6e">k</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Glottal_stop/Xfqy2ArP">ʔ</a></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Fricative/1FQuuhfX">Fricative</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_labiodental_fricative/v9lESng4">v</a></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_alveolar_fricative/WLKtEYDe">s</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiceless_glottal_fricative/lfRB7CPW">h</a></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Lateral_consonant/Mcyc1or8">Lateral</a></th><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Voiced_alveolar_lateral_approximant/dgbHhqeK">l</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> Vowels<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th></th><th><a href="/facts/Front_vowel/htKQs3AT">Front</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Central_vowel/IFSaKUe9">Central</a></th><th><a href="/facts/Back_vowel/gyHoGCH0">Back</a></th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/High_vowel/Ne6tHQHR">High</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Close_front_unrounded_vowel/rSUdlCPU">i</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Close_back_rounded_vowel/gqlQLfse">u</a></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Mid_vowel/uzjGLRhf">Mid</a></th><td><a href="/facts/Close-mid_front_unrounded_vowel/e9YNLF97">e</a></td><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Close-mid_back_rounded_vowel/VwS9cKWJ">o</a></td></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/Low_vowel/roS0Y7lA">Low</a></th><td></td><td><a href="/facts/Open_front_unrounded_vowel/s80pvmYh">a</a></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>An older source lists two additional vowels, /ɑ/ and /ə/.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="grammar">Grammar</h2> <p>Ontong Java <a href="/facts/Word_order/nXtB9Gm2">word order</a> is normally VSO<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> and <a href="/facts/Subject%25E2%2580%2593verb%25E2%2580%2593object/N0DS8deK">SVO</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="notes">Notes</h2> <ul><li>Mugler, France; Lynch, John (1996). <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=VWNrvm_cb7MC&q=ontong+java+language&pg=PA1"><i>Pacific Languages in Education</i></a>. editorips@usp.ac.fj. <a href="/facts/ISBN_(identifier)/15AdSPa9">ISBN</a> 9789820201231.</li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li>Materials on Ontong Java are included in the open access <a href="/facts/Arthur_Capell/FpFVp9Cd">Arthur Capell</a> collections (<a href="http://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/AC1">AC1</a> and <a href="http://catalog.paradisec.org.au/collections/AC2">AC2</a>) held by <a href="/facts/Paradisec/agLYjd6n">Paradisec</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="further-reading">Further reading</h2> <ul><li>Thorpe, Mary Anne (1968). <i>A Transformational-generative Syntax of Luangiua</i> (Thesis). University of Auckland.</li> <li>Hogbin, H. I. B. (1930). "Notes on a grammar of the language of Ontong Java". <i>Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies</i>. 5 (4): 823–853. <a href="/facts/Doi_(identifier)/muM9Etpq">doi</a>:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0041977X00090534">10.1017/S0041977X00090534</a>.</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Luangiua". Glottolog. Retrieved 2024-07-06. <a href="https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/onto1237" target="_blank">https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/onto1237</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Salmond, Anne (1974). A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 256. <a href="https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Ontong Java". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2019-10-10. <a href="https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv" target="_blank">https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Ontong Java". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2019-10-10. <a href="https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv" target="_blank">https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Salmond, Anne (1974). A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 256. <a href="https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Lanyon-Orgill, Peter A. (1944). A Study of the Leuangiua Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Luzac & Co. p. 24. <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Salmond, Anne (1974). A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 256. <a href="https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Krupa, Viktor (1973). Polynesian Languages: A Survey of Research. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 108. <a href="https://archive.org/details/polynesianlangua0000krup" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/polynesianlangua0000krup</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>This source says there is one liquid consonant (r / l), but does not specify which one. <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Salmond, Anne (1974). A Generative Syntax of Luangiua: A Polynesian Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Mouton & Co. NV. pp. 256. <a href="https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm" target="_blank">https://archive.org/details/generativesyntax0000salm</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Lanyon-Orgill, Peter A. (1944). A Study of the Leuangiua Language. The Hague, Netherlands: Luzac & Co. p. 24. <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"Ontong Java". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2019-10-10. <a href="https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv" target="_blank">https://www.ethnologue.com/language/ojv</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Tomlin, Russell S. (2014-02-03). Basic Word Order (RLE Linguistics B: Grammar): Functional Principles. Routledge. ISBN 9781317933793. <a href="9781317933793" target="_blank">9781317933793</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>