Vot Tande
Encyclopedia
Vot Tande is an uninhabited islet of the Banks Islands
of northern Vanuatu
. It is located about 50 km (31.1 mi) due north of the island of Mota Lava
.
The islet of Vot Tande has never been inhabited. It is host to thousands of sea birds – especially frigatebird
s, which have given their name to the islet.
language is used.
In all languages of the region, the meaning is the same: “the Rock of Frigatebirds”.
The spelling Vot Tande is a transcription of the Löyöp form. The variant Vetaoundé, which is found on old French maps, reflects an earlier attempt at spelling the older Mwotlap form. Other misspellings for the same islet include Vet Tande, Vot Ganai.
Banks Islands
The Banks Islands are a group of islands in northern Vanuatu.Together with the Torres Islands to the northwest, they make up the northernmost province of Torba. The group lies about north of Maewo, and includes Gaua and Vanua Lava, two of the 13 largest islands in Vanuatu...
of northern Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
. It is located about 50 km (31.1 mi) due north of the island of Mota Lava
Mota Lava
Mota Lava or Motalava is the fourth largest island in the Banks Islands of Vanuatu, after Gaua, Vanua Lava and Ureparapara, with an area of . It is the largest and highest of the eastern chain of islands...
.
The islet of Vot Tande has never been inhabited. It is host to thousands of sea birds – especially frigatebird
Frigatebird
The frigatebirds are a family, Fregatidae, of seabirds. There are five species in the single genus Fregata. They are also sometimes called Man of War birds or Pirate birds. Since they are related to the pelicans, the term "frigate pelican" is also a name applied to them...
s, which have given their name to the islet.
Name
The islet is known under various names, depending on which vernacularVernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
language is used.
In all languages of the region, the meaning is the same: “the Rock of Frigatebirds”.
- In Löyöp (UreparaparaUreparaparaUreparapara is the third largest island in the Banks Group in northern Vanuatu, after Gaua and Vanua Lava. It is an old volcanic cone that has been breached by the sea on its east coast, forming Divers Bay. Apart from this indentation, the island is circular in shape, with a diameter of eight...
), it is called Vot Tade (βɔt.taˈⁿdɛ), with prenasalisedPrenasalized consonantPrenasalized consonants are phonetic sequences of a nasal and an obstruent that behave phonologically like single consonants. The reasons for considering these sequences to be single consonants is in their behavior, not in their actual composition...
ⁿd - In MwotlapMwotlap-External links: *...
(Mota LavaMota LavaMota Lava or Motalava is the fourth largest island in the Banks Islands of Vanuatu, after Gaua, Vanua Lava and Ureparapara, with an area of . It is the largest and highest of the eastern chain of islands...
), it is known as Nevet Men Tagde (nɛˌβɛt.mɛn.taɰˈⁿdɛ), or under its older name Vet Tagde (βɛtaɰˈⁿdɛ). - In MotaMota language-External links:* in Mota* from Project Canterbury*...
, it is called Vat Ganai (βatɣanai)
The spelling Vot Tande is a transcription of the Löyöp form. The variant Vetaoundé, which is found on old French maps, reflects an earlier attempt at spelling the older Mwotlap form. Other misspellings for the same islet include Vet Tande, Vot Ganai.