Fijian (Na vosa vaka-Viti)

Fijian is a member of the Oceanic branch of the Malayo-Polynesian family. It is spoken mainly in Fiji by about 650,000 people, and by another 20,000 in New Zealand, Australia and the USA. In Fiji about 330,000 people speak Fijian as a native language, mainly in eastern Fiji, while 320,000 people speak it as a second language, mainly in western Fiji.

Fijian became an official language of Fiji in 1997, along with English and Hindustani (Fiji Hindi). Before then, the sole official language in Fiji was English. Fijian is used in newspapers, on the radio and in schools. It is also known as Boumaa Fijian, Eastern Fijian, Fiji, Standard Fijian or Vakaviti.

Written Fijian

David Cargill (1809-1843), a Scottish missionary and pioneer in the study of the Fijian Language, devised a way of writing Fijian with the Latin alphabet based on the Ba'u (Bauan) dialect. He came up with several spelling systems, noted the reactions of the Fijians to them and abandoned the ones that didn't work. At first he represented sounds like /^mb/ and /ⁿd/ with two letters: mb and nd, but the Fijians read these as two separate sounds. Eventually he hit upon a spelling system that made sense to the Fijians and which has been in use ever since.

Fijian alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

F, H and P are only used in foreign loan words.
A macron (ā) lengthens a vowel, but is only used in dictionaries and textbooks for learners.

Sample text in Fijian

Era sucu ena galala na tamata yadua, era tautauvata ena nodra dokai kei na nodra dodonu. E tiko na nodra vakasama kei na nodra lewaeloma, sa dodonu mera veidokadokai ena yalo ni veitacini.

A recording of this text by Tamati Taylor

Translation

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample video in Fijian

Information about Fijian | Phrases | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Learn Fijian with uTalk

Fijian language resources on Amazon

Links

Information about Fijian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fijian_language
http://fijiguide.com/page/the-language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/fij

Online Fijian lessons
http://learntospeakfijian.weebly.com
http://www.livelingua.com/peace-corps-fijian-course.php

Fijian phrases
http://www.earthyfamily.com/FJ-words.htm
http://fijiguide.com/page/the-language
http://www.go-fiji.com/dictionary.html

Online Fijian dictionary
http://web.archive.org/web/20091027023635/http://geocities.com/fijidictionary/
http://glosbe.com/en/fj/

Online Fijian radio
http://bulafm.fbc.com.fj

Information about David Cargill
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/wordscape/Cargill/index.html

Country profile: Fiji
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1300477.stm

Malayo-Polynesian languages

Alorese, Ambai, Ambel, Anuki, Balinese, Bambam, Banjarese, Batuley, Bengkulu, Biak, Bima, Bugis, Bushi, Chamorro, Duri, Fijian, Fordata, Gayo, Iban, Indonesian, Javanese, Kei, Kerinci, Komering, Lamaholot, Lampung, Ledo Kaili, Madurese, Makasarese, Malagasy, Malay, Mamasa, Mandar, Mandar, Mbula, Mentawai, Minangkabau, Mualang, Musi, Ngaju, Nias, Ogan, Palauan, Sasak, Selaru, Sumbawa, Sundanese, Toqabaqita, Toraja-Sa'dan, Ulumandaʼ, Urak Lawoi’, Wamesa, Yamdena

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 09.06.24

[top]

You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.

If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.

Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.fr are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you click on any of them and buy something. So by clicking on these links you can help to support this site.

[top]