Trisha Shetty (Editor)

Tobian language

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Native to
  
Palau

ISO 639-3
  
tox

Native speakers
  
22 (1995)

Glottolog
  
tobi1238

Region
  
Hatohobei, Koror, Sonsorol

Language family
  
Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Micronesian Proper Trukic Echangese Tobian

Tobian (Tobian: ramarih Hatohobei, literally "the language of Tobi") is the language of Tobi, one of the Southwest Islands of Palau, and the main island of Hatohobei state. Tobian is a Micronesian language spoken by approximately 150 people.

Contents

Tobian and the dialects of Sonsorol, Merir, and Pulo Anna, the other inhabited Southwest Islands, are closely related to the languages spoken in the Federated States of Micronesia outer islands of Yap and Truk Lagoon.

These days most Tobian speakers live in Echang, a hamlet of Koror, the former capital of Palau. Tobian and Sonsorolese are very close, and appear to be gradually merging towards a new dialect called "Echangese".

Examples

  • animal = mar
  • coconut palm = ruh
  • goodbye = sabuho
  • language = ramarih
  • soldierfish = red

    • Counting

  • one = sewo
  • two = huwou
  • three = soruo
  • four = fauwo

    • This is only base counting. There are different numerals for a lot of different objects.

    References

    Tobian language Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA