Kwaio

Kwaio is a member of the Southeast Solomonic group of Oceanic languages. It is spoken by about 13,000 people in the mountains of central Malaita Island in Malaita Province in the southeast of the Solomon Islands.

Kwaio is also known as Koio. It is written with the Latin script, and there appear several spelling systems. There is a translation of the New Testament of the Bible in Kwaio.

Kwaio alphabet and pronunciation

Kwaio alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

The letter J may appear in texts containing words borrowed from other languages.

Download an alphabet chart for Kwaio (Excel)

Sample text (The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4)

  1. Ma Jesus te bosa vanira, “Tana bona kau kokoeliulivuti ke, ma kau bosaa ma kau ghaghua, Mama, te tabu na Ahamu. Ke mai nimua na kinakabu.
  2. Heghai mai na vanga te manamami tughu bongi,
  3. Mo ko talukehai na lei palumami te vaghai tai talukehai na lei paludira tana hahi tara nea vanighai.

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1248/LUK.11.KWD

Translation

  1. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
  2. Give us day by day our daily bread.
  3. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample video

Links

Information about Kwaio
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwaio_language
https://ebooks.ub.rug.nl/176/
http://www.language-archives.org/language/kwd

Southeast Solomonic languages

ꞌAreꞌare, Arosi, Gela, Ghari, Kahua, Kwaio, Kwara’ae, Lau, Lengo, Longgu, Oroha, Owa, Sa'a, Santa Cruz, Talise

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 21.02.24. Last modified: 29.04.24

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