The language of Niuafo'ou Island

Abstract

Niuafo'ou shares with its neighbouring Polynesian languages Tongan and 'Uvean (Bataillon 1932) the same inventory of segmental phonemes which consists of five vowels and twelve consonants. Phonetic long vowels and diphthongs occur, but long vowels are analysed either as sequences of two identical vowels (I.2.2. ( C-1)) or as protraction of a single vowel accompanying word intensity emphasis (I.3.3.2.(A)) and diphthongs as sequences of two non-identical vowels (I.2.2.(C-2)). With the exception of , which has an allophone unique to Niuafo'ou, Niuafo'ou phonemes have more or less the same phonetic realizations as those of Tongan and, possibly also of 'Uvean. Like Tongan, Niuafo'ou also possesses what C.M. Churchward (1953) calls definitive accent. Definitive accent, or definitive stress as it is referred to in this study, is in fact a superasegmental morpheme and, and as such, carries a semantic function of its own. semantic effect of definitive stress will be with in IV of Part its basic position, however, in Chapter III of Part I. with the position of other stresses, described Some interjections and certain idiomatic expressions like daily greetings show deviations from the normal phonological patterns. they occur (IIL9.2.2., Appendix). deviations will be dealt with as Chapter I of Part I deals with the description of segmental phonemes and their phonetic realizations. The structure of the syllable will also be considered. Chapter II deals with the structure of morphemes and words. As it will be seen, the structure of words has much relevance as to the position of stress. The final chapter, Chapter III deals with the description of stress.