Linguistics

Even Hovdhaugen and Åshild Næss.

The linguistic part of the project focuses on the documentation (grammars, text collections and dictionaries) and studies (articles in linguistic journals on typological, sociolinguistic and diachronic matters) of the Pileni and Äiwo languages in Vaeakau and the Reef Islands in the Temotu province in the far east of the Solomon Islands.

Pileni is a Polynesian language, but both in syntax and especially phonology it is quite different from the other Polynesian languages. The ancestors of the present-day Polynesian population in Vaeakau and on the Duff Islands (about 1500 persons) probably came from the east at least 600 years ago. Linguistic studies so far indicate that there were several linguistically different groups of Polynesian ancestors, probably arriving at different times.

Äiwo is a non-Austronesian language of unclear genetic affiliation. It is appears to be related to the languages on Santa Cruz, and it may be related to some Papuan languages in the Solomons and in Papua Niu Kini. Äiwo is a typologically very interesting language with features that are found in only a very few of the world's languages like OVS word order and a unit-augmented pronominal system. Äiwo appears also to have a uniquely complicated noun class system.

Pileni and Äiwo have been in close contact for at least 500 years - probably longer - through trade and intermarriage. Geographically the two languages and cultures are very close but at the same time very different.