Ajië (Waawilûû)

Ajië is a member of the New Caledonian branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family spoken in New Caledonia by between 4,000 and 5,400 people. It is spoken on the east coast of New Caledonia, in Houailou, Monéo, Kouaoua and in inland valleys.

Ajië was first studied by missionaries during the 19th century, particularly by Pastor Maurice Leenhardt, who produced a translation of the New Testament in Ajië in 1922. He was also the first to develop a way of writing the language. A new orthography for Ajië was published in 1976, and took phonological changes in the language into account.

Ajië is taught in a number of schools and colleges, and in the University of New Caledonia.

Ajië alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Ajië (Excel)
Details of the Ajië alphabet (PDF) provided by Wolfram Siegel

Sample text

Gè vi na we we rhara
Gö wi ria na Tiwaka
Auu ki vi göru
Na wê dö cùù rö na köwi-nya xè ria
Ö köwi-i ka wiri
Ka é te yiö rö kaévè
Ka é te yiö rö rhara
Te tia xèi ké bâ vi tèi
Ti yiö xèi ké bâ köyö
Rö nédê i pâ Pwâri
Tè ria " Göröpèito "
Kaa vi rua i kù
Kaa ûû i Aérébwa
Tawawîî wêyê.

Translation

Where are you going, pearl oyster?
I'm going down to Tiwaka.
Ooh, let me go with you.
Only my leg is swollen.
What's wrong with this leg?
The one we cut with the oyster.
The one we cut with the pearl oyster.
Torn from walking all the time.
Cut from playing so much.
In the Pwärî pond.
Down at Göröpèito.
Where the little mangrove crab climbs.
Where Aérébwa swims.
Guarding the path.

Source: https://www.alk.nc/langues/ajie/corpus/pue-ma-rhara-la-moule-et-lhuitre-perliere

Sample videos

Information about Ajië | Numbers

Links

Information about Ajië
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajië_language
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajië
http://www.ethnologue.com/language/aji
http://www.language-archives.org/language/aji
https://www.alk.nc/langues/ajie

New Caledonian languages

Ajië, Caac, Cèmuhî, Drehu, Iaai, Ndrumbea, Nengone, Numèè, Nyelâyu, Paicî, Vamale, Xârâcùù

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 26.01.26

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