eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'go_fiji_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_0',115,'0','0']));Even though English eventually replaced Bao Fijian as the main language of Fiji, the Fijian language never had to struggle too much to remain in existance, unlike some other Pacific languages, such as the Hawaiian language. After the islands came under British colonial rule, a number of contract workers were brought from present-day British India, spreading the use of the Hindi language. There is the very formal, 'Proper' English (which would resemble formal English in Australia or the United Kingdom) as it is known, which is to be used in government and any other situation deemed formal enough for its use, but it has fallen out of favor due to the popularity of the more laid back varieties and is still spoken only by the older generation that lived through the colonial days. In the 1997 Constitution, it was referred to as "Hindustani",[2] but in the 2013 Constitution of Fiji, it is simply called "Hindi".[3]. This occurred up to the point that many Bauan words entered many western Fijian languages. The Fiji locals are sure to appreciate that you took the time to try to learn their language. A language soon developed in Fiji that combined the common elements of the Hindi dialects spoken in these areas with Fijian, Arabic, and English words; this has diverged significantly from the varieties of Hindi spoken on the Indian sub-continent. The iTaukei language is spoken either as a first or second language by most indigenous Fijians who make up around 54% of the population. Hindustani. The Fijian language spoken in Fiji is a type of Austronesian langauge and is part of the Malayo-Polynesian family. However, it did not become an official language in Fiji until it was declared so in the 1997 Constitution, along with English and Hindustani. Bula is the most common word you’ll hear right across Fiji and it is used to greet people or say … A sort of mid-level English is used in school, church, work and in semi-formal situations and is basically English with localized grammatical innovations and words imported from Hindi and Fijian; it is quickly becoming 'formal English' in Fiji. Fijian is … Many Chinese settlers, especially from southern China speak Cantonese, which is quickly incorporating many Fijian and English words. Fijian was first introduced in Fiji 3500 years ago by the islands earliest inhabitants, who either originated from an island in Vanatu or from the Solomons. Rotuman, also referred to as Rotunan, Rutuman or Fäeag Rotuma, is an Austronesian language spoken by the indigenous people of the South Pacific island group of Rotuma, an island with a Polynesian-influenced culture that was incorporated as a dependency into the Colony of Fiji in 1881 and later chose to remain with Fiji in 1970 upon independence and in 1987, when Fiji became a republic. The development of Fiji Hindi was accelerated by the need for labourers speaking different dialects and sub-dialects of Hindi to work together and the practice of young children being left during working hours in early versions of day care centers. Find out how this came about, from the many other dialects, on our Fiji Language page. The rotuman language is spoken by more than 2000 people on the island of Rotuma and a further 10,000 people who live or work in the Republic of Fiji. By the time of the British administration, much of the Fijian nobility were able to comprehend basic English. English usage in Fiji predates the cession of Fiji to Great Britain by a few decades. Along with Bau Fijian, the other official languages in Fiji are English and Hindustani. Then in May and June of 2005, several prominent Fijian figures petitioned for an upgrade to the status of Fijian. After the indenture system, Indians who spoke Gujarati and Punjabi arrived in Fiji as free immigrants. They spoke numerous, mainly Hindi, dialects and languages depending on their district of origin. The relation between Fiji Hindi and Standard Hindi is similar to the relation between Afrikaans and Dutch. At present, many free settler descendants in Fiji and their families speak Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi and Gujarati at home, but all speak and communicate with each other in English. The Austronesian languages are normally found among islands in continental and Southeast Asia along with islands in the Pacific. By this time Fiji Hindi was well established as the lingua franca of Fiji Indians and the South Indian labourers had to learn it to communicate with the more numerous North Indians and European overseers. If you forget, you can always just ask a local for help. Early missionaries residing in the country felt that it was very important to use the local language in all their work. Fijian has many dialects, though the official one is the speech of Bau. Fiji's diverse, multiracial and multilingual makeup make these languages, as well as other unofficial, minority languages in Fiji (such as Chinese, Western Fijian, Banaban, Rotuman, Tuvaluan and other present Indian languages), influence one another. As most islanders speak English, you should have no trouble communicating on your trip—and you might even get the opportunity to learn! Fiji Hindi, also known as Fijian Baat or Fijian Hindustani, is the language spoken by most Fijian citizens of Indian descent. The following idiosyncrasies apply to pronouncing most words in Fijian: Additionally, any word with a "d" has an unwritten "n" in front of it, so the city Nadi would be pronounced "Nah-ndi." English was first encountered from the first explorers and traders and found greater popularity as a lingua franca (albeit mixed with English in an early and now extinct Pidgin Fijian) between frontier settlers and the indigenous peoples. The standard Fijian language is commonly and officially called Fijian. Similarly, in certain words with a "g," there is an unwritten "n" in front of it, so sega ("no") is pronounced "senga," and the letter "c" is pronounced "th," so "moce," meaning goodbye, is pronounced "moe-they.". The Fijian communalects belong to the enormous Austronesian language family, which means they are related to thousands of other languages spanning the globe from Malagasy in the west to Rapanui (Easter Island) in the east, from Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the south to Hawaii and Taiwan in the north. The Austronesian languages are normally found among islands in continental and Southeast Asia along with islands in the Pacific. Bauan was then adopted by the British administration for communication with the iTaukei. When it was decided that a standard dialect was needed, Bao Fijian was chosen. Over time, it evolved into what is today Standard Fijian which includes many English and Other Fijian Dialectal contributions, becoming quite distinct from the original Bauan Dialect. The English spoken in Fiji today is very different and has developed significantly over the close to 150 years of usage in the islands. Fiji has three official languages under the 1997 constitution (and not revoked by the 2013 Constitution): English, iTaukei and Hindi. Furthermore, sizeable minorities of Micronesians and Polynesians mean that Fiji is also home to various Micronesian and Polynesian languages. Though Fijian is still not considered a necessary subject in schools, numerous leaders, such as the current Fijian Educational Minister, Ro Teimumu Kepa, and the Fiji Labour Party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry, are working to change that. The language is of the Malayo-Polynesian family, not too different from Hawaiian and Maori. Many of these migrants are farmers and are constantly exposed to the Fijian and Hindi dominated areas of rural Fiji. For a long time, it was the only spoken language in Fiji. Click on a coloured area to see an article about English in that country or region, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of countries by English-speaking population, List of countries where English is an official language, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Languages_of_Fiji&oldid=984950419, Articles needing additional references from October 2015, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2013, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 23 October 2020, at 02:06.
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