Page Type: languagePukapuka | Ethnologue

PKP ISO 639-3

Pukapuka

Te Leo Wale Autonym

A language of Cook Islands

ISO 639
pkp
Alternate Names
Bukabukan, Pukapukan
Autonym
Te Leo Wale
Population
700 in Cook Islands (2011 census), decreasing. 451 Pukapuka, 73 Nassau Island (Census), plus approximately 200 L1 speakers on Rarotonga (Pue village), less a few non-Pukapukan spouses most of whom speak Pukapuka as L2 (2015 M. Salisbury). Ethnic population: 700 (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 3,100.
Location:
Nassau, Pukapuka, and Rarotonga.
Language Status
6b* (Threatened). Recognized language (2003, Te Reo Maori Act, Articles 2(b) and 4), Te Reo Maori is deemed to include Pukapukan as spoken or written in Pukapuka.
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, Pukapuka
Dialects
None known. Not intelligible with Rarotongan [rar] or other Cook Islands languages. Related to Samoan [smo].
Typology
VSO, VOS.
Language Use
While it is spoken by almost everyone on the island including children and non-native spouses, it has few written resources and is in a diglossic relationship with Cook Islands Maori, the national language. Positive attitudes. All also use Cook Islands Maori [rar], in church and village meetings, in diglossic situations, and is taught in school. Most also use English [eng], only when communicating with outsiders and in written communication (emails, documents) in some government work situations.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Pukapuka
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Hurricane in 2007, ongoing migration to New Zealand and Australia. Christian.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Pukapuka
User Population
1,500 in New Zealand (2016 M. Salisbury). Ethnic population: 3,000 (2016 M. Salisbury).
Location
Primarily in Auckland, smaller communities in Hastings, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Porirua, Shannon.
Language Status
Unestablished
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Christian.
View other languages of New Zealand

Map

Location: Nassau, Pukapuka, and Rarotonga.