The Santa Cruz language is the main language spoken on the island of Nendö

Nendo Island

Nendo is the largest and most important of the Santa Cruz Islands, located in the Temotu province of the Solomon Islands. The island is also known as Santa Cruz, Ndeni, Nitendi or Ndende...

 or 'Santa Cruz', in the Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...

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Genetic affiliation

It was widely believed until recently that Santa Cruz was a Papuan language

East Papuan languages

*Baining family*North Bougainville family — Bougainville*South Bougainville family — Bougainville*Central Solomon family...

. Like the rest of the Reefs – Santa Cruz languages, however, it has been shown to be a member of the Austronesian language family.

Dialects

Santa Cruz further divides into the following dialects: Ndeni (Deni), Te Motu, Londai, Nea, Nooli, Lvova (Lwowa), Mbanua. Speakers of most dialects understand Lwowa and Mbanua well. The Nea and Nooli dialects are the most divergent.

Links

• Buk Ngr Nzangiongr Anglican Book of Worship in the Natqgu Language