Alternate Names: Maronene
Dialects: Tokotu’a (Kabaena), Wita Ea (Poleang, Rumbia). Lexical similarity: Wita Ea dialect 80% with Tokotu’a dialect; 68% with Menui dialect of Wawonii ,, 66% with Kulisusu ,, 65% with Taloki ,, Koroni ,, Tulambatu dialect of Bungku ,, 64% with Bungku ,, and 57% with Tolaki ,.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 37,000 (2000 D. Andersen), increasing. Wita Ea 23,000, Tokotu’a 14,000. Includes about 3,500 living in cities. Second or third generations in cities no longer speak Moronene. 1,850 monolinguals.
Language Use: Vigorous in many villages. Occasional oral use in church, letter writing. All ages. Positive attitudes. In Poleang many also use Bugis [bug]. In some villages, some parents speak Indonesian [ind] to their children; some children are not proficient in Moronene.
Language Development: Taught as an oral and written subject in both elementary and secondary schools. Radio programs. Bible portions: 2003.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Indonesia
Other Comments: Formerly a kingdom. Muslim.