Roviana

RUG

wider communication

Alternate Names: Robiana, Rubiana, Ruviana

Status Notes: Being supplanted as lingua franca by Pijin , in Western Province; now used as L2 in Western Province and as far north as Buka and Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, mainly by those over 30 years old.

Genealogy:

Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Oceanic
Western Oceanic
Meso Melanesian
New Ireland
South New Ireland-Northwest Solomonic
New Georgia
West

Demographics: 9,870 (1999 SIL). L2 users: 16,000 (1987 UBS).

Language Use: Also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Duke [nke], Fagani [faf], Hoava [hoa], Simbo [sbb], Touo [tqu], Ughele [uge].

Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 30%–60%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1953–1995.

Typology: VSO.

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Solomon Islands