Kapingamarangi language
| Kapingamarangi | |
|---|---|
| Kirinit | |
| Native to | Micronesia |
| Region | Kapingamarangi and Pohnpei islands |
|
Native speakers
|
3,000 (1995) |
|
Austronesian
|
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | |
| Glottolog | kapi1249 |
Kapingamarangi is a Polynesian language spoken in the Federated States of Micronesia. It had 3,000 native speakers in 1995. The language is closely related to the Nukuoro language.
The Kapingamarangi language is a language spoken in the Pacific by people from Kapingamarangi, the Pohnpei Island, and in the Pohnrakied village in Pohnpei. Kapingamarangi was first recorded on an expedition in 1557 by Spanish navigator Hernando de Grigalvan (Elbert, 1946). Kapingamarangi, also known as Kirinit, is categorized in the Austronesian language family, along with many other Pacific languages. Kapingamarangi is an atoll, which is located in the state of Pohnpei of the Federated States of Micronesia. In the country of Pohnpei, Kapingamarangi is the southernmost atoll of the country and of the Caroline Islands. The total area of the Kapingamarangi Island is 72 square kilometres (28 sq mi). The western reef rim of the islands gets almost submerged in water when the tides are high. The Kapingamarangi language is spoken not only on the atoll of Kapingamarangi, but also in the village of Pohnrakied, located on the island of Pohnpei. Pohnpei is the largest, highest, most populated, and the most developed island in the Federated States of Micronesia. It is also part of the Caroline Islands group. The island of Pohnpei is administered under the Federated States of Micronesia government.
Kapingamarangi is viewed as another world, even to other cultures located inside of Micronesia. The people of Kapingamarangi live in towns, rather than being scattered out in little hamlets like other additional places located in Micronesia (Elbert, 1946). Kapingamarangi currently has three thousand total speakers: one thousand speakers on the atoll of Kapingamarangi and two thousand speakers in Pohnrakied village on Pohnpei. The people of Kapingamarangi are considered to be of Polynesian ethnicity; the other seven states of the Federated States of Micronesia are categorized as being Micronesian. The only language that is recognized as an official language in Micronesia is English. The language status of Kapingamarangi is "educational", which means that the language is in vigorous use, maintaining standardization and literature throughout a widespread system in institutions of education. The language has been developed to a point that it is used and sustained in people's homes and around the community.
Kapingamarangi has 22 consonants /d, dh, g, gh, p, ph, t, th, k, kh, w, wh, h, hh, m, mh, n, nh, ŋ, ŋh, l, lh/ (Leiber & Dikepa, 1974).
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