Bilua

Bilua is spoken by about 9,000 people on Vella Lavella Island in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. It is classified as a language isolate by some linguists, or as a member of the Central Solomons group of Papuan languages by others.

Bilua is also known as Mbilua or Vella Lavella. It is written with the Latin alphabet, and there is some literature in the language, including a grammar and a translation of the New Testament.

Bilua alphabet and pronunciation

Bilua alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Bilua (Excel)

Sample text

Anga ta aqa zaria vai bazubazuto kala bazubazulao, ni komia bazubazulao ta pui matu tuvevoama, melai silosiloamu kemai ibueko kikevema sole, ko pui kopa ereivo ni pui kopa kaevo melai, kekaseke koa bazubazulao kale.

Translation

I want to tell a folktale, and this folktale, it is not very true, but people make children quiet by telling this story. That is what they said, it was not something which happened and it was not something which occured but still they tell it in a folktale.

Source: A Grammar of Bilua - A Papuan language of the Solomon Islands (PDF)

Details provided by Michael Peter F¨stumum

Sample video

Information about Bilua | Numbers

Links

Information about Bilua
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilua_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/blb
http://www.language-archives.org/language/blb

Central Solomons languages

Bilua, Lavukaleve, Savosavo

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 26.05.22. Last modified: 20.10.23

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