Tetepare language
Encyclopedia
According to local oral history, the indigenous people of the now-uninhabited island of Tetepare
spoke their own language, different to the other languages of the region. Published materials are insufficient to establish whether this language was an Austronesian language
like most of the surrounding languages (Roviana
, Marovo
and the rest of the New Georgia subgroup
), or a non-Austronesian language like neighboring Touo
. Language maps sometimes show the Touo language extending to Tetepare Island
as well, but this seems to be an accident.
Tetepare Island
Tetepare Island is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific, located at . It is a part of Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It covers approximately 118 square kilometres. Tetepare supports pristine lowland rainforest and a rich inshore marine area...
spoke their own language, different to the other languages of the region. Published materials are insufficient to establish whether this language was an Austronesian language
Austronesian languages
The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia that are spoken by about 386 million people. It is on par with Indo-European, Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic and Uralic as one of the...
like most of the surrounding languages (Roviana
Roviana language
Roviana is a member of the North West Solomonic subgroup of Oceanic languages. It is spoken around Roviana and Vonavona lagoons at the north central New Georgia in the Solomon Islands...
, Marovo
Marovo language
Marovo is an Austronesian language of the Solomon Islands. It is spoken in the New Georgia Group on islands in Marovo Lagoon and on the neighbouring islands of New Georgia, Vangunu and Nggatokae...
and the rest of the New Georgia subgroup
New Georgia languages
The ten New Georgia languages are a group of the Northwest Solomonic languages spoken on or near New Georgia Island in the Western Province of Solomon Islands.-Languages:...
), or a non-Austronesian language like neighboring Touo
Touo language
-External links:*...
. Language maps sometimes show the Touo language extending to Tetepare Island
Tetepare Island
Tetepare Island is the largest uninhabited island in the South Pacific, located at . It is a part of Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It covers approximately 118 square kilometres. Tetepare supports pristine lowland rainforest and a rich inshore marine area...
as well, but this seems to be an accident.