Ethnologue: Areas: Pacific

Norfolk Island

1,700 (1994 Honolulu Advertiser). An Australian territory. The number of languages listed for Norfolk Island is 2. Of those, 1 is a living language and 1 is a second language with no mother tongue speakers.

ENGLISH [ENG] 1,678 in Norfolk Island (1980 Government report); 322,000,000 in all countries (1995 WA). Indo-European, Germanic, West, North Sea, English. National language. Bible 1535-1989. NT 1525-1985. Bible portions 1530-1987.

PITCAIRN-NORFOLK (PITCAIRN ENGLISH) [PIH] (580 on Norfolk Island; fewer than 50 on Pitcairn; 630 or fewer in all countries; 1989 Holm). Norfolk Island, Pitcairn Island. There are some second generation Pitcairn Islanders in Australia and New Zealand. English-Tahitian cant. Dialect: NORFOLK ENGLISH. Developed from mutineers settling on Pitcairn in 1790. Some were removed to Norfolk in 1859. Slightly different variety than in Pitcairn. An in-group language used to assist in the preservation of identity. People speak Standard British English as mother tongue. Agriculturalists: breadfruit, banana, pineapple, passion fruit, watermelon, mango, custard apple, orange, lime, lemon, grapefruit. Second language only. No mother tongue speakers.


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Part of the Ethnologue, 13th Edition, Barbara F. Grimes, Editor.
Copyright © 1996, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc. All rights reserved.

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