Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Hoava-Kusaghe
CLASSIFICATION		Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Meso Melanesian
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		hoa
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Hoava Kusaghe
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		Hoava and Kusaghe (ksg) are sometimes considered separate languages (see Ethnologue, based on data gathered in 1999) but Davis (2003) shows cognate percentages near 90%% and reports mutual ineligibility.

Compare Sources (6)

Information from: “A Grammar of the Hoava Language, Western Solomons” . Karen Davis (2003) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~2,360
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Though other sources list the number of speakers as less than 500, Davis (who is the only source with prolonged individual contact with Hoava speakers) reports numbers that are much higher. Davis includes speakers of the Kusaghe dialect, considered by some to be a seperate language. However, even if one removes Kusaghe from the calculations, Davis lists 1,230 Kusaghe speakers, which leaves over 1,100 speakers of the Hoava dialect.

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

MORE ON VITALITY

When speaking with Marovo speakers, Hoava speakers switch entirely to Marovo, and Marovo speakers are not expected to speak Hoava. In schools Roviana and Pijin are mostly used. There does not seem to be much attrition, though the use of Roviana and pijin words in Hoava speech has been reported as rising.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

None

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Solomon Islands Pijin
Roviana
Marovo
English

PLACES: Solomon Islands

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Spoken along the north coast of New Georgia island. There are also communities of speakers in the regional capital, Gizo

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
460
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 1999

PLACES: Solomon Islands;

Endangered

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

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
459
Native speakers worldwide

Endangered

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

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

PLACES: Solomon Islands

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: North Marovo lagoon, on the central
northern coast of the main New Georgia Island.

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.														-8.08333333333,157.5
			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	460	1999	100-999				Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				Solomon 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)						-8.1883,157.6036
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.	Roviana	all	Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				Solomon Islands	North Marovo lagoon, on the central northern coast of the main New Georgia Island.
					World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.		459		100-999				Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
	Pacific Linguistics			2003	A Grammar of the Hoava Language, Western Solomons				Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University	535			Karen Davis	Davis, Karen. 2003. "A Grammar of the Hoava Language, Western Solomons." 535: Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.	HHOLD	~2,360		1000-9999	Though other sources list the number of speakers as less than 500, Davis (who is the only source with prolonged individual contact with Hoava speakers) reports numbers that are much higher. Davis includes speakers of the Kusaghe dialect, considered by some to be a seperate language. However, even if one removes Kusaghe from the calculations, Davis lists 1,230 Kusaghe speakers, which leaves over 1,100 speakers of the Hoava dialect.	Solomon Islands Pijin, Roviana, Marovo, English		Threatened (60 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	When speaking with Marovo speakers, Hoava speakers switch entirely to Marovo, and Marovo speakers are not expected to speak Hoava. In schools Roviana and Pijin are mostly used. There does not seem to be much attrition, though the use of Roviana and pijin words in Hoava speech has been reported as rising.	12	10	Solomon Islands	Spoken along the north coast of New Georgia island. There are also communities of speakers in the regional capital, Gizo

Hoava

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~2,360

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

460

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

459

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100-999

Discussion

Hoava

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

60 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~2,360

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

460

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

600

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

459

Endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100-999

Discussion

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Sources of information

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