Fijian (Vakaviti)

Fijian is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken by about 650,000 people mainly in Fiji (Viti). There are also several thousand Fijian speakers in New Zealand. About 450,000 people speak Fijian as their first language, particularly on Vanua Levu and the eastern half of Viti Levu, and also on Kadavu, Nayau, Lakeba, Oneata, Moce, Komo, Namuka, Kabara, Vulaga, Ogea and Vatoa. Another 200,000 people speak Fijian as a second language in other parts of Fiji.

According the 1997 constituion, Fijian is an official language of Fiji, along with English and Hindustani.

David Cargill (1809-1843), a scottish missionary and pioneer in the study of the Fijian Language, devised a way of writing Fijian with the Latin alphabet based on the Ba'u (Bauan) dialect. He came up with several spelling systems, noted the reactions of the Fijians to them and abandoned the ones that didn't work. At first he represented sounds like /^mb/ and /ⁿd/ with two letters: mb and nd, but the Fijians read these as two separate sounds. Eventually he hit upon a spelling system that made sense to the Fijians and which has been in use ever since.

Fijian alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

F, H, P, X and Z are only used in foreign loan words. A macron lengthens a vowel, but is only used occasionally.

Sample text in Fijian

Era sucu ena galala na tamata yadua, era tautauvata ena nodra dokai kei na nodra dodonu. E tiko na nodra vakasama kei na nodra lewaeloma, sa dodonu mera veidokadokai ena yalo ni veitacini.

A recording of this text by Tamati Taylor

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Information about Fijian | Fijian phrases | Tower of Babel Fijian