Palau Languages

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Description[edit | edit source]

The official languages of Palau are Palauan and English, except in two states (Sonsorol and Hatohobei) where the local languages, Sonsorolese and Tobian, respectively, along with Palauan, are official. [1]

Palauan - a Malayo-Polynesian language native to the Republic of Palau, where it is one of the two official languages, alongside English. It is widely used in day-to-day life in the country. [2]

Sonsorolese - a Micronesian language spoken in Palau, originally on the islands composing the state of Sonsorol, and spreading through migration elsewhere in the country. It is very close to Tobian. [3]

Tobian - a Micronesian language spoken by approximately 150 people. It is the language of Tobi, one of the Southwest Islands of Palau, and the main island of Hatohobei state. [4]

Word List(s)[edit | edit source]

Alphabet and Pronunciation[edit | edit source]

Alphabet

Pronunciation

Language Aids and Dictionaries[edit | edit source]

Language Aids

  • Sonsorolese Language Grammar - Wikipedia
  • Capell, Arthur. Grammar and vocabulary of the language of Sonsorol-Tobi. Washington: Pacific Science Office, National Research Council, 1951. Available at: WorldCat.

Dictionaries

  • Josephs, Lewis S. Palauan-English dictionary. Honolulu: Univ. of Hawaii Press, 1990. Available at: WorldCat.
  • McManus, Edwin G, Lewis S Josephs, and Masa-aki Emesiochel. Palauan -- English Dictionary. Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1978. Available at: WorldCat.

Online Dictionaries

Additional Resources[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. Wikipedia contributors, "Palau," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palau#Languages, accessed 23 Jun 2021.
  2. Wikipedia contributors, "Palauan language," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palauan_language, accessed 23 Jun 2021.
  3. Wikipedia contributors, "Sonsorolese language," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonsorolese_language, accessed 23 Jun 2021.
  4. Wikipedia contributors, "Tobian language," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobian_language, accessed 23 Jun 2021.