Nagu
[aka Engdewu, Nanggu,]Classification: Austronesian
·severely endangered
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Severely endangered
80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
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206
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"The oldest age group (60+), especially the women, almost exclusively uses Nagu; but some of the men also know Pijin, as well as some of the neighboring languages. The middle age group (31–59) is competent in Nagu and Pijin, and will use Nagu with other Nagu speakers and Pijin with both speakers of other languages and with the youngest age group on occasion... Those aged 10 and above understand and speak more Nagu than their parents realize, but those under 10 speak Nagu to a far lesser extent than their elder brothers and sisters. Some of these youngest children heavily mix Pijin with Nagu."
- DATE OF INFO
- 1999
- DOMAINS OF USE
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- TRANSMISSION
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- MORE ON VITALITY
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"Instead of teaching their children the parents’ languages, Pijin is spoken within the family, and their children acquire it as their first language. [...] Nagu is only spoken in the home, but it is not the exclusive home language since many households also speak Pijin. [...] Unless there is a change in the current pattern of language transmission, Nagu will no longer be spoken within the next two generations since many children are growing up without learning it or desiring to."
- OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
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Solomon Islands Pijin
- LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS
"Pijin is the language of choice for the other domains such as education and business, and being the smallest language on Santa Cruz, Nagu is never employed in national nor provincial government, where English and Pijin are the main players... The low regard that others have of their [Nagu] language will have inevitably affected Nagu speakers’ own attitude toward it and may account, in part, for the continued weakening of Nagu."
- Scripts (Writing system)
- None
- More on Orthography
"Since there is not yet a written form of Nagu and since English is taught in the schools, only English is used for writing and reading."
- PLACES
- Solomon Islands
- LOCATION DESCRIPTION
"The Nagu language is spoken in several settlements on the southern coast of Santa Cruz. The largest Nagu-speaking village is called Nagu. Nabalue is next, with around 200 people divided into two settlements. A large village, Memawa, is on top of a bluff and a small village Menepmaotu in the inlet below it... Furthermore, a small group of speakers lives in Nambwan Kä Ilöpi which means ‘Big Bay’. Finally, perhaps 50 Nagu speakers live in Honiara."