Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Sabu, Havunese, Savu, Sawu, Sawunese, Savunese
CLASSIFICATION		Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Sumba-Hawu
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		hvn
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Seba (Heba) Timu (Dimu) Raijua (Raidjua) Mesara (Mehara) Liae
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

Compare Sources (4)

Information from: “Personal Communication on Rikou” . Kaufman, Daniel (2012)

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
100,000
Native speakers worldwide

MORE ON VITALITY

Hawu is primarily used only in the home and in contexts of traditional culture. It is not used for business, education, or travel.

Hawu has complex phonetics, with implosives, phonetically long and short vowels, and lengthened consonants. All this makes the language hard to acquire for many children.

Intergenerational transmission of specialized traditional knowledge and vocabulary is breaking down.

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

Hawu has a complex dialect situation, better described as multiple languages, which makes for a lack of possible standardization, leading to increased use of Indonesian in more and more domains.

PLACES: Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Sabu regency

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
110,000 (1997). 15,000 to 25,000 outside of Sabu (Wurm and Hattori 1981)
Native speakers worldwide

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
70,000 (as of 1982)
Native speakers worldwide

PLACES: Sawu islands

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: The Sawu island lie in the midway between Sumba and Kupang. They are in the official province of Nusa Tenggara Timur. Sawu island is 40 km long by 15 km wide. Rainjua is 11 km by 6 km. Seba is the largest town on the western coast of Sawu island.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Migrant Sawu communities exist in the Kupang region of West-Timor, Coastal regions of Sumba, Ende in Flores, Surabaya, and Jakarta

NUSA, Linguistic Studies in Indonesian and Languages in Indonesia				Grammar of Sawu	Amran Halim; Bambang Kaswanti Purwo; Soenjono Dardjowidjojo; Soepomo Poedjosoedarmo; I. Suharno; John W.M. Verhaar		13			Alan T. Walker			70,000 (as of 1982)	10000-99999		Vulnerable (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Migrant Sawu communities exist in the Kupang region of West-Timor, Coastal regions of Sumba, Ende in Flores, Surabaya, and Jakarta	Sawu islands	The Sawu island lie in the midway between Sumba and Kupang. They are in the official province of Nusa Tenggara Timur. Sawu island is 40 km long by 15 km wide. Rainjua is 11 km by 6 km. Seba is the largest town on the western coast of Sawu island.	-10.463905, 121.879673
				Glottolog					http://www.glottolog.org/glottolog/		"Glottolog." Online: http://www.glottolog.org/glottolog/.										-10.55, 121.85
	July 21		2012	Personal Communication on Rikou						Kaufman, Daniel	Kaufman, Daniel. Personal Communication on Rikou. July 21, 2012.		100,000	100000	Hawu has a complex dialect situation, better described as multiple languages, which makes for a lack of possible standardization, leading to increased use of Indonesian in more and more domains.	At risk (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	Hawu is primarily used only in the home and in contexts of traditional culture. It is not used for business, education, or travel. Hawu has complex phonetics, with implosives, phonetically long and short vowels, and lengthened consonants. All this makes the language hard to acquire for many children. Intergenerational transmission of specialized traditional knowledge and vocabulary is breaking down.		Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Sabu regency
		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	110,000 (1997). 15,000 to 25,000 outside of Sabu (Wurm and Hattori 1981)	100000		At risk (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)

Hawu

Language metadata

Language information by source

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100,000

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

110,000 (1997). 15,000 to 25,000 outside of Sabu (Wurm and Hattori 1981)

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

70,000 (as of 1982)

Discussion

Hawu

Language metadata

Language information by source

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

100,000

At risk

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

110,000 (1997). 15,000 to 25,000 outside of Sabu (Wurm and Hattori 1981)

Vulnerable

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

70,000 (as of 1982)

Discussion

Suggest information or improvement

Download language data

Sources of information

Compare Sources