Roviana | Ethnologue

A language of Solomon Islands

ISO 639: rug
Alternate Names: Robiana, Rubiana, Ruviana
Autonym: Roviana
Population: 25,870, all users. L1 users: 9,870 (1999 SIL). L2 users: 16,000 (1987 UBS).
Location:: Western province: north central New Georgia, Roviana and Vonavona lagoons.
Language Status: 3 (Wider communication). Being supplanted as lingua franca by Pijin [pis] in Western Province; now used as L2 in Western Province and as far north as Buka and Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, mainly by those over 30 years old.
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, Meso Melanesian, New Ireland, South New Ireland-Northwest Solomonic, New Georgia, West
Typology: VSO; definite and indefinite common articles; passives; 16 consonants and 5 vowels; verb serialization; inclusive/exclusive pronouns; alienable/inalienable possession.
Language Use: Also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Bilua [blb], Duke [nke], Fagani [faf], Kusaghe [ksg], Simbo [sbb], Touo [tqu], Ughele [uge].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 30%–60%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 2017.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Roviana
Writing: Latin script [Latn].

Location: Western province: north central New Georgia, Roviana and Vonavona lagoons.