Native to Vanuatu Native speakers 750 (2012) Glottolog mota1237 | Region Mota island ISO 639-3 mtt | |
Language family Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Oceanic
Southern Oceanic
Vanuatu
Northern Vanuatu
East Vanuatu
Mota | ||
Mota is an Oceanic language spoken by about 750 people on Mota island, in the Banks Islands of Vanuatu.
Contents
History
During the period 1840-1940, Mota was used as a missionary lingua franca throughout areas of Oceania included in the Melanesian Mission, an Anglican missionary agency. Mota was used on Norfolk Island, in religious education; on other islands with different vernacular languages, it served as the language of liturgical prayers, hymns, and some other religious purposes. Elizabeth Fairburn Colenso translated religious material into the language.
Robert Henry Codrington compiled the first dictionary of Mota (1896), and worked with George Sarawia and others to produce a large number of early publications in this language.
Phonology
Mota has 5 phonemic vowels, /i e a o u/.