Federated States of Micronesia Languages

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Federated States of Micronesia

Languages

Description

Micronesians speak English plus a native tongue. English is the official language of the government and of commerce.

There are eight main indigenous languages in the Federated States of Micronesia.

• Chuukese (also known at Trukese) - spoken primarily on the islands of Chuuk.
• Kapingamarangi - closely related to the Nukuoro language.
• Kosraean (sometimes rendered Kusiaean) - spoken on the islands of Kosrea.
• Nukuoro - spoken on the Nukuoro Atoll and on Pohnpei
• Pohnpeian - spoken on the island of Pohnpei.
• Ulithian - spoken on Ulithi Atoll and neighboring islands.
• Woleaian - main language on the island of Woleai and surrounding smaller islands.
• Yapese - spoken by the people on the island of Yap.

Other indigenous languages spoken by smaller numbers include:

• Mortlockese - spoken on the Mortlock Islands.
• Pingelapese - spoken on Pingelap.
• Mokilese - spoken on Mwoakilloa.
• Puluwat - spoken on Poluwat.
• Pááfang - spoken on the Hll Islands.
• Namonuito - spoken on Namonuito Atoll.
• Ngatikese - spoken on Sapwuahfik Atoll.
• Satawalese - very similar to Mortlockese.
• Nguluwan - spoken on Nguluwan Atoll.
• Ngatikese Creole - spoken on the atoll of Sapwuahfik.

NOTE: many elderly people are fluent in Japanese.

The records are in Spanish, German, English, or the native tongue, depending on the time period and the island or island group.

Word List(s)

For word lists and help researching in Federated States of Micronesia records, see:

• Spanish Genealogical Word List
• German Genealogical Word List

Word List in Native Languages:

• Useful Phrases in Chuukese (Omniglot)
• Useful Phrases in Yapese (Omniglot)

Alphabet and Pronunciation

• Chuukese language (Omniglot online encyclopedia of writing systems and Languages)
• Kapingamarangi language (Omniglot online encyclopedia of writing systems and Languages)
• Kosraean language (Omniglot online encyclopedia of writing systems and Languages)
• Nukuoro language (Omniglot online encyclopedia of writing systems and Languages)
• Pohnpeian language (Omniglot online encyclopedia of writing systems and Languages)
• Ulithian language (Omniglot online encyclopedia of writing systems and Languages)
• Woleaian language (Omniglot online encyclopedia of writing systems and Languages)
• Yapese language (Omniglot online encyclopedia of writing systems and Languages)

Pronunciation Examples

• The Sound of the Chuukese language - YouTube
• The Sound of the Pohneian language - YouTube

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Language Aids

• Chuukese language - Wikipedia
• Kapingamarangi language - Wikipedia
• Kosraean language - Wikipedia
• Nukuoro language - Wikipedia
• Pohnpeian language - Wikipedia
• Ulithian language - Wikipedia
• Woleaian language - Wikipedia
• Yapese language - Wikipedia

Dictionaries

• Goodenough, Ward Hunt and Hiroshi Sugita. Trukese-English dictionary. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1990. Available at: WorldCat.
• Elbert, Samuel H. Trukese-English and English-Trukese dictionary. Pearl Harbor, T. H.: United States Naval Military Government, 1947. Available at: WorldCat.
• Lieber, Michael D and Kalio H Dikepa. Kapingamarangi lexicon. Honolulu: The Univ, Press of Hawaii, 1974. Available at: WorldCat.
• Elbert, Samuel H. Grammar and comparative study of the language of Kapingamarangi. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1978. Available at: WorldCat.
• Yi, Ki-dong. Kusaiean-English dictionary. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1987. Available at: WorldCat.
• Carroll, Vern and Topias Soulik. Nukuoro lexicon. Honolulu: Univ. Pr. of Hawaii, 1973. Available at: WorldCat.
• Burdick, Alan. Dictionary of the Ponapean language. n.p.: n.p., 1970. Available at: WorldCat.
• Rehg, Kenneth L and Damian G Sohl. Ponapean-English dictionary. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1979. Available at: WorldCat.
• Mellen, Neil J and John A Hancock. Ulithian-English dictionary. Columbia, S.C.: Habele Outer Island Education Fund, 2010. Available at: WorldCat.
• Sohn, Ho-min and Anthony F Tawerilmang. Woleaian-English dictionary. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1976. Available at: WorldCat.
• Jensen, John Thayer. Yapese-English dictionary. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI Out-of-Orint Books on Demand, 1990. Available at: WorldCat.

Online Dictionaries

• Chuukese-English Dictionary
• Kapingamarangi-English Dictionary
• Kosraean-English Dictionary
• Nukuoro-English Dictionary
• Pohnpeian-English Dictionary
• Ulithian-English Dictionary
• Woleaian-English Dictionary (University of Hawai'i Press)
• Yapese-English Dictionary (Pali Language Texts)

Additional Resources

• Languages of the Federated States of Micronesia. Memphis, Tenn.: Books LLC, 2010. Available at: WorldCat.
• Daigaku, Shiga Kenritsu and Ningen Bunka Gakubu. BOOKTITLE. PLACE: PUBLISHER, DATE. Available at: WorldCat.
• Grimes, B. Micronesian Languages. n.p.: Oxford University Press, 2003. Available at: WorldCat.