Tuvalu

Summary

Official Name

International Conventions

CSICH (2017), UNCRPD (2013)

Population

11,300

Principal Languages

English

General References

Bender, B. 1971, Bender and Rehg 1991

Language Counts

The number of established languages listed for Tuvalu is 3. All are living languages. Of these, 1 is indigenous and 2 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 2 are institutional and 1 is developing.

Languages

English eng: Users: 800 in Tuvalu (Crystal 2003a), L2 users. Status: 1 (National). De facto national language. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Kiribati gil: Nui district: Nui island northwest of Funafuti capital, between Nanumanga and Nukufetau islands. Users: 100 in Tuvalu (2002 J. Leclerc). Status: 5* (Dispersed). Alternate Names: Gilbertese, Ikiribati Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Micronesian, Micronesian Proper, Ikiribati
Tuvaluan tvl: Tuvalu, 7 of the 9 inhabited islands. Users: 10,000 in Tuvalu (2015 S. Ager). Total users in all countries: 14,270. Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto language of national identity, possible use in local courts, councils. Alternate Names: Ellice, Ellicean, Tuvalu Autonym: Te ’gana Tūvalu Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Central-Eastern Oceanic, Remote Oceanic, Central Pacific, East Fijian-Polynesian, Polynesian, Nuclear, Samoic-Outlier, Ellicean