Native to Micronesia ISO 639-3 ngm | Native speakers 15–30 (2014) Glottolog ngat1248 | |
Region Sapwuahfik (Ngatik), Pohnpei Language family Ngatikese–English Creole | ||
Ngatikese Creole, also called Ngatik Men's Creole, is a creole language spoken mostly on the atoll of Sapwuahfik (formerly Ngatik) in the Caroline Islands. It is spoken by about 500 on the atoll, and by another 200 on the nearby major island of Pohnpei. It is a creole consisting of English and Sapwuahfik Pohnpeian spoken primarily by men, but is readily understood by women and children.
"Ngatikese" also refers to the non-creolized language, descending from Pohnpeian, that is spoken on the atoll.
History
The Ngatik Men's Creole developed as a result of the 1837 Ngatik massacre, during which the island's male population was wiped out by the crew of Australian captain C.H. Hart's ship Lambton and Pohnpeian warriors. Some of the Europeans and Pohnpeians settled and repopulated the island, taking the local women as wives. The island formed a new culture and language, a mixture of English and Ngatikese.