Lewo

LWW

developing

Alternate Names: Varsu

Dialects: Mate-Nul-Filakara, Tasiko. Lexical similarity: borderline with Lamenu , but strong community perception that it is a different language.

Genealogy:

Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Oceanic
Central-Eastern Oceanic
Remote Oceanic
North and Central Vanuatu
Northeast Vanuatu-Banks Islands
Epi
Lamenu-Baki
Lamenu-Lewo

Demographics: 2,200 (Lynch and Crowley 2001). Only very elderly and very young are monolingual. L2 users: Speakers of neighboring languages also use Lewo.

Language Use: Some use in religious domain. Positive attitudes. 100% also use Bislama [bis].

Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 50%. Literacy rate in L2: 40%. Taught in primary schools. Poetry. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1892–2002.

Typology: Tripartite disjunctive negative construction.

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Vanuatu

Other Comments: Christian.