Savosavo

Savosavo is a member of the Central Solomon group of Papuan languages. It is spoken by about 2,500 people (in 2008) on Savo Island north of Guadalcanal in the Central Province of the Solomon Islands.

There are two main orthographies for Savosavo: one devised by the Catholic church, and another by Anglican church, with only a few minor differences between them. Few Savosavo speakers can write, but the language is sometimes used to write public notices and private letters. There is also a translation of part of the Anglican prayer book.

Savosavo alphabet and pronunciation

Savosavo alphabet and pronunciation

This is the Unified orthography. In the Anglican orthography Q is written G. In the Catholic orthography Gh is written G. In other orthographies Gn is written Ñ and Ng is written N̄.

Download an alphabet chart for Savosavo (Excel)

Sample text

Lo mapaghana rughu zuizu. Zu pa daki mapa ko ghajia magnighala palei. Ko ninie koi Polupolu. Tegho, ko tuvila patu, pa suana bazu.

Translation

The people had gone to work in the garden. But one old woman stayed on her own in the village. Her name was Polupolu. While she was staying at her house a giant came.

Source: A Grammar of Savosavo

Information provided by Michael Peter F¨stumum

Information about Savosavo | Numbers

Links

Information about Savosavo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savosavo_language
http://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/svs
http://dobes.mpi.nl/projects/savosavo/language/
http://www.mpi.nl/publications/escidoc-102834/@@popup

Central Solomons languages

Bilua, Lavukaleve, Savosavo

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 20.10.23

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