The thirty New Caledonian languages, also known as Kanak languages, form a branch of the Southern Oceanic languages. Their speakers are known as Kanaks. One language is extinct, one is critically endangered, four are severely endangered, five are endangered, and another five are vulnerable to extinction.
Typology The Cèmuhî, Paicî, Drubea, Numèè, and Kwenyii languages are tonal.Rivierre, Jean-Claude. 1993. Tonogenesis in New Caledonia. In Edmondson and Gregerson: Tonality in Austronesian languages, 155–173. Oceanic Linguistics Special Publication 24.
Other than phonemically contrastive tone, typological features in New Caledonian languages that are typically unusual for Oceanic languages include nasalized vowels, very large vowel inventories, retroflex consonants, and voiceless nasals.
Languages
Loyalty Islands Drehu (Lifou Island) Iaai (Ouvéa Island) Nengone (Maré Island) Mainland New Caledonian Southern New Caledonian Extreme Southern Ndrumbea (vulnerable) Numèè Mid-Southern Xârâcùù–Xârâgurè: Xârâcùù Xârâgurè (endangered) Zire–Tîrî: Tîrî (endangered) Zire † Wailic Ajië Arhâ (severely endangered) Arhö (critically endangered) Neku (severely endangered) Orowe (endangered) Northern New Caledonian Haeke* Haveke* Vamale* Central Northern Cèmuhî Paicî North Northern Pwaamei (endangered) Pwapwa (severely endangered) Bwatoo Hmwaveke Waamwang Fwâi Jawe (vulnerable) Nemi (vulnerable) Pije (severely endangered) Extreme Northern Caac (vulnerable) Kumak (vulnerable) Nyâlayu Yuanga
The languages of the northern Voh–Koné area (*) are often discussed as a unit.
List of New Caledonian languages Language Alternative Spelling Speakers Commune(s) Province Customary Area Dialects1Nyâlayu languageYalâyu1522Ouégoa, Belep, PouéboNorth ProvinceHoot Ma WaapPooc/Haat (Belep); Puma/Paak/Ovac (Arama, Balade)2Kumak languageFwa Kumak1100 (2009)Koumac, PoumNorth ProvinceHoot ma WaapNêlêmwâ (Nénéma tribe), Nixumwak3Caac language-890PouéboNorth ProvinceHoot Ma WaapCawac (variant spoken at Conception in Le Mont-Dore since 1865)4Yuanga languageYûâga1992Kaala-Gomen, OuégoaNorth ProvinceHoot Ma Waap-5Jawe language -729Hienghène, PouéboNorth ProvinceHoot Ma Waap-6Nemi languageNèmi768HienghèneNorth ProvinceHoot Ma WaapOuanga, Ouélis, Kavatch7Fwâi language -1131HienghèneNorth ProvinceHoot Ma Waap-8Pije language-161HienghèneNorth ProvinceHoot Ma WaapTha (Tiendanite)9Pwaamei language-219VohNorth ProvinceHoot Ma WaapNaakâ (Temala, Voh); Dhaak/Yaak (Fatenaoue)10Pwapwâ language -16VohNorth ProvinceHoot Ma Waap-11Voh-Koné dialects-878Voh, KonéNorth ProvinceHoot Ma WaapBwatoo (Oudjo, Népou, Baco and once spoken on Koniène Island), Haeke, Haveke, Hmwaeke, Havele, Vamale (Haute Tipindje), Waamwang12Cèmuhî languageCamuki2051Touho, Koné, and PoindimiéNorth ProvincePaici Camuki-13Paicî languagePaici5498Poindimié, Ponérihouen, Koné, PoyaNorth ProvincePaici-Camuki-14Ajië languageA'jië4044Houaïlou, Ponérihouen, Poya, KouaouaNorth ProvinceAjië-Aro-15Arhâ language -35PoyaNorth ProvinceAjië-Aro-16Arhö language Arö62PoyaNorth ProvinceAjië-Aro-17Orowe language Abwébwé587BourailSouth ProvinceAjië-Aro-18Neku language Néku221Bourail MoindouSouth ProvinceAjië-Aro-19Sîchë Zîchë, Sîshëë4 (extinct since April 2006)Bourail, MoindouSouth ProvinceAjië-AroSometimes considered a dialect of Ajië20Tîrî language Tirî264La Foa, SarraméaSouth ProvinceXaracuuTîrî, Mea21Xaracuu language Xaracuu3784Canala, La Foa, BouloupariSouth ProvinceXaracuu-22Xârâgurè language -566Thio, New CaledoniaSouth ProvinceXaracuuLanguage close to Xârâcùù23Ndrumbea languageDrubea946Païta, Dumbéa, Nouméa, YatéSouth ProvinceDjubéa-Kaponé-24Numèè languageNumee/Kapone 1814Yaté, Mont-Dore, Isle of Pines (New Caledonia)South ProvinceDjubéa-KaponéXêrê (Yaté), Wêê (île Ouen), kwênyii (Isle of Pines (New Caledonia))25Nengone language-6377Maré Island, TigaLoyalty IslandsNengoneIwateno (ceremonial/chiefly language)26Drehu language-11338Lifou IslandLoyalty IslandsDrehuMiny (ceremonial/chiefly language)27Iaai language-1562Ouvéa IslandLoyalty IslandsIaai-
References