Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Tongareva, Mangarongaro, Penrhynese
CLASSIFICATION		Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		pnh
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “Penrhyn-English dictionary” . Norio Shibata (2003) ELPR Publications

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~500
Native speakers worldwide
Ethnic population
1,500

DATE OF INFO: 2003

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

MORE ON VITALITY

The language is being lost by those who leave the atoll to look for economic opportunities elsewhere, typically Australia and New Zealand. On the Atoll, the language is under considerable influence from Rarotongan.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

No government support

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

No institutional support

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

English
Rarotongan

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Those who leave the atoll typically speak English. Rarotongan is common even on the atoll.

PLACES: Cook Islands

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Spoken on Penrhyn island, the northern most island in the Cook Islands. It is an atoll with two inhabited villages, Omoka and Tetautua.

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
100-999
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
In 1981, 600 speakers were reported. Today there are much fewer.

MORE ON VITALITY

Language is being supplanted by Rarotongan.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Rarotongan

More on Orthography

No literacy in language

PLACES: Penrhyn Island, Northern Cook Islands, Cook Islands

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
600
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
600
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
200
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Updated Ethnologue information. 200 speakers as of 2011 census.

PLACES: Cook Islands;

		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		600		100-999						Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					-9.0153,-158.0218
			2003	Penrhyn-English dictionary				ELPR Publications			Norio Shibata			1,500	~500	2003	100-999		English, Rarotongan	No government support	Those who leave the atoll typically speak English. Rarotongan is common even on the atoll.	No institutional support	Severely Endangered (40 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	The language is being lost by those who leave the atoll to look for economic opportunities elsewhere, typically Australia and New Zealand. On the Atoll, the language is under considerable influence from Rarotongan.	14	Cook Islands	Spoken on Penrhyn island, the northern most island in the Cook Islands. It is an atoll with two inhabited villages, Omoka and Tetautua.	-8.991, -157.974
070071197X	3	1	2007	Australia and the Pacific	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	424-557		Routledge	Abingdon		Stephen A Wurm	Wurm, Stephen A. 2007. Australia and the Pacific. In Christopher Moseley, Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, 1 edn., 424-557. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN 070071197X	ll_pub				100-999	In 1981, 600 speakers were reported. Today there are much fewer.	Rarotongan				Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	Language is being supplanted by Rarotongan.		Penrhyn Island, Northern Cook Islands, Cook Islands
				World Oral Literature Project						http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.			600		100-999						Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
		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		200		100-999	Updated Ethnologue information. 200 speakers as of 2011 census.					Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)			Cook Islands;

Penrhyn

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~500

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100-999

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

200

Discussion

Penrhyn

Language metadata

Language information by source

Severely endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~500

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100-999

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

200

Discussion

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