Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Pingelap, Pingilapese
CLASSIFICATION		Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Micronesian, Ponapeic
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3; Glottolog
LANGUAGE CODE		pif; ping1243
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Preverbal Particles in Pingelapese: A Language of Micronesia” . Ryoko Hattori (2012) ScholarSpace

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
Approximately 200 speakers on Pingelap atoll; 1,200 speakers in Mwalok, Sokehs Municipality and Mand, Madolenihmw Municipality, on the high island of Pohnpei
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 2012

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Pohnpeian and English are used in public life and education.

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

Some of the local churches have a negative attitude toward Pingelapese traditional religious customs.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Pohnpeian
Mokilese
English

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Pingelapese children on Pingelap learn Pohnpeian by the age of 10 or earlier, and learn English in high school. Children on Mokil atoll learn Mokilese simultaneously with Pingelapese, as well as Pohnpeian and English shortly thereafter. Language shift is occurring in the vocabulary, phonology, and syntax. They accommodate speakers of other languages, instead of other people switching to Pingelapese. Pohnpeians assume Pingalapese is just a dialect of their language. Pingelapese children in the US often have only a passive/receptive knowledge of their language, and respond in English.

More on Orthography

A Pingelapese alphabet exists, but is not well known. The Pohnpeian alphabet is regularly used, but does not adequately serve Pingelapese, has several differences of phonemes, and leads to mispronunciations of names and other words. The lack of suitable orthography and literacy materials negatively influence children's learning of content as well as the Pingelapese language.

PLACES: Spoken primarily on Pingelap atoll and the high island of Pohnpei, two of the eastern Caroline Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia. Many Pingelapse people have moved to the United States and Guam.

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"2,500 in Micronesia. 500 on Pingelap, about 2,000 on Ponape."

PLACES: USA; Micronesia; Guam;

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Ponape

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,500
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
3,000
Native speakers worldwide

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
2,000
Native speakers worldwide

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Federated States of Micronesia

0199255911			2005	The World Atlas of Language Structures		Bernard Comrie and David Gil and Martin Haspelmath and Matthew S. Dryer	Oxford University Press	New York				2005. "The World Atlas of Language Structures." edited by Bernard Comrie et al. Oxford University Press.																6.21666666667,160.7
		16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)		M. Paul Lewis	SIL International	Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	3,000		1000-9999	"2,500 in Micronesia. 500 on Pingelap, about 2,000 on Ponape."				Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					USA; Micronesia; Guam;	Ponape
		3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger			UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub	2,500		1000-9999					Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)							6.2279,160.7107
				World Oral Literature Project						http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.		3,000		1000-9999					Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
			2006	"Linguistic Documentation of Pingilapese Language" HRELP Abstract						http://www.hrelp.org/grants/projects/index.php?projid=92	Ryoko Hattori	Hattori, Ryoko. 2006. ""Linguistic Documentation of Pingilapese Language" HRELP Abstract." Online: http://www.hrelp.org/grants/projects/index.php?projid=92.		2,000		1000-9999		English, Pohnpeian			Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Federated States of Micronesia
	August		2012	Preverbal Particles in Pingelapese: A Language of Micronesia	Keywords: Pingelapese, Micronesia, evidentiality, pronouns		ScholarSpace		University of Hawai'i at Manoa	https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/100963/1/Hattori_Ryoko_r.pdf	Ryoko Hattori			Approximately 200 speakers on Pingelap atoll; 1,200 speakers in Mwalok, Sokehs Municipality and Mand, Madolenihmw Municipality, on the high island of Pohnpei	2012	1000-9999		Pohnpeian, Mokilese, English	Some of the local churches have a negative attitude toward Pingelapese traditional religious customs.	Pingelapese children on Pingelap learn Pohnpeian by the age of 10 or earlier, and learn English in high school. Children on Mokil atoll learn Mokilese simultaneously with Pingelapese, as well as Pohnpeian and English shortly thereafter. Language shift is occurring in the vocabulary, phonology, and syntax. They accommodate speakers of other languages, instead of other people switching to Pingelapese. Pohnpeians assume Pingalapese is just a dialect of their language. Pingelapese children in the US often have only a passive/receptive knowledge of their language, and respond in English.	Threatened (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	10	Pohnpeian and English are used in public life and education.	12	12	Spoken primarily on Pingelap atoll and the high island of Pohnpei, two of the eastern Caroline Islands in the Federated States of Micronesia. Many Pingelapse people have moved to the United States and Guam.		161.42,6.13

Pingelapese

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Approximately 200 speakers on Pingelap atoll; 1,200 speakers in Mwalok, Sokehs Municipality and Mand, Madolenihmw Municipality, on the high island of Pohnpei

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Discussion

Pingelapese

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

Approximately 200 speakers on Pingelap atoll; 1,200 speakers in Mwalok, Sokehs Municipality and Mand, Madolenihmw Municipality, on the high island of Pohnpei

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,500

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

3,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

2,000

Discussion

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