West Ambae language

West Ambae
Native to	Vanuatu
Region	Ambae
Native speakers	8,700 (2001) [1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Southern Oceanic North-Central Vanuatu North Vanuatu West Ambae
Dialects	Nduindui (Duidui) Walaha
Language codes
ISO 639-3	nnd
Glottolog	west2513
West Ambae is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger

Regianna speaking West Ambae.

West Ambae (also known as Duidui, the principal dialect, and Opa, the Mota name for the island) is an Oceanic language spoken on Ambae, Vanuatu. Dialects of West Ambae include Walaha and Nduindui (Duidui). The New Testament was published in West Ambae in 1984.

Phonology

Consonants

		Bilabial	Alveolar	Velar	Labiovelar	Glottal
Plosive	voiceless		t	k	kʷ
	voiced	ᵐb	ⁿd	(ŋ)ɡ	(ŋ)ɡʷ
Fricative		β	s			h
Nasal		m	n	ŋ	ŋʷ
Rhotic			r
Lateral			l

Voiced stops /ɡ, ɡʷ/ occur as prenasalized /ᵑɡ, ᵑɡʷ/, in the Walaha dialect. ^[2]

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i		u
Mid	e		o
Open		a

References

1. West Ambae at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Aru, Carol Cecilia (2015). A Short Grammar of Duidui: A Language of West Ambae in Northern Vanuatu. University of the South Pacific.

External links

• A Halagi Huri Lai A Sacrament Laqa Na Tanaloi u Lena Anglican Holy Communion Prayers in Nduindui (1965), digitized by Richard Mammana and Charles Wohlers
• Hala Na Tataro Tana Tataro Ginia Lolo Imada Simplified Anglican Morning and Evening Prayer (1965), digitized by Richard Mammana