Teanu

A language of Solomon Islands

ISO 639: tkw
Alternate Names: Buma, Puma
Population: 800 (2012 A. François).
Location:: Temotu province: Vanikolo island, Emua, Lale, Lavaka, and Puma villages.
Language Status: 7 (Shifting).
Classification: Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Temotu, Utupua-Vanikoro
Typology: SVO; prepositions; noun head initial; dual number; no articles; 20 consonants and 10 vowels; stress on penultimate syllable; inclusive/exclusive pronouns; verb serialization.
Language Use: Shifting to Pijin [pis] (Wurm 2007). Used as L2 by Lovono [vnk], Tanema [tnx].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 30%–60%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Dictionary.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Teanu
Writing: Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments: Previously 3 tribal districts corresponded to 3 languages: Tanema [tnx] south, Lovono [vnk] northwest, Teanu [tnx] northeast. Tanema population now dispersed on the island for more than a century and blended with Melanesian population, while most of south coast settled by Polynesians.

Location: Temotu province: Vanikolo island, Emua, Lale, Lavaka, and Puma villages.