Makuva language

For Makua languages of Mozambique, see Makua languages.
Makuva
Makuʼa, Lóvaia
Native toEast Timor
Native speakers
extinct since 1950s[1] to 56 (2010 census)[2]
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3lva
Glottologmaku1277
ELPMaku'a
Distribution of ethnic Makuva in East Timor

Makuva, also known as Makuʼa or Lóvaia,[3] is an apparently extinct Austronesian language spoken at the northeast tip of East Timor near the town of Tutuala.

Makuva has been heavily influenced by neighboring East Timorese Papuan languages, to the extent that it was long thought to be a Papuan language. The ethnic population was 50 in 1981, but the younger generation uses Fataluku as their first or second language. A 2003 report estimated that there were only five fluent speakers of the language.[4]

Numbers

Numbers in Makuva
Number Makuva
1 itetlá
2 urua
3 okelo
4 oʼaka
5 olima
6 oneme
7 oíko
8 oava
9 osia
10 ideli

References

  1. ^ Noorderlicht Noorderlicht Nieuws: Raadselachtig Rusenu
  2. ^ Makuva at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  3. ^ van Engelenhoven, Aone (2010). "The Makuva Enigma: Locating a Hidden Language in East Timor" (PDF). Revue Roumaine de linguistique. 80: 161–181.
  4. ^ John Hajek; Nikolaus Himmelmann; John Bowden (2003). "Lóvaia: an East Timorese language on the verge of extinction". International Journal of the Sociology of Language. 2003 (160). doi:10.1515/IJSL.2003.016. ISSN 0165-2516. Wikidata Q57377305.


Stub icon

This Austronesian languages-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.