Taetae ni Kiribati
Gilbertese
Austronesian (Micronesian)
Gilbertese (Te taetae ni Kiribati) is the national language of Kiribati and one of the world's smallest phoneme inventories — only 13 distinct phonemes. It is also the only major Micronesian language with significant communities outside its core area, with established speaker bases in Fiji's Rabi Island (resettled Banabans) and Solomon Islands' Choiseul. Gilbertese has VOS word order and a rich Austronesian system of inclusive/exclusive pronouns and possessive classifiers.
Where it is spoken
20 core words in Gilbertese
Water
ran
/ɾan/
Fire
ai
/ai/
Sun
tai
/tai/
Moon
namwakaina
/namʷakaina/
Mother
tinau
/tinau/
Father
tamau
/tamau/
Eat
amwarake
/amʷaɾake/
Drink
nima
/nima/
Love
tangira
/taŋiɾa/
Heart
nano
/nano/
Tree
kai
/kai/
House
auti
/auti/
Dog
kamea
/kamea/
Cat
katu
/katu/
Hand
bai
/bai/
Eye
mata
/mata/
Hello
mauri
/mauɾi/
Thank you
ko rabwa
/ko ɾabʷa/
One
teuana
/teuana/
Good
raoiroi
/ɾaoiɾoi/
Words compared
Compared with related Austronesian (Micronesian) languages
| Meaning | Gilbertese | Rapanui | Puyuma | Bunun | Motu | Iban | Chamorro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ran /ɾan/ | vai /vai/ | enay /enai/ | danum /danum/ | ranu /ɾanu/ | ai /ai/ | hånom /haːnom/ |
| Fire | ai /ai/ | ahi /ahi/ | apuy /apui/ | sapuz /sapuz/ | lahi /lahi/ | api /api/ | guafi /ɡʷafi/ |
| Sun | tai /tai/ | raʻā /raʔaː/ | kadaw /kadaw/ | vali /vali/ | dina /dina/ | mata-ari /mataari/ | atdao /atdao/ |
| Moon | namwakaina /namʷakaina/ | mahina /mahina/ | kuwalan /kuwalan/ | buan /buan/ | hua /hua/ | bulan /bulan/ | pulan /pulan/ |
| Mother | tinau /tinau/ | matuʻa /matuʔa/ | ina /ina/ | tina /tina/ | sinana /sinana/ | indai /indai/ | nana /nana/ |
| Father | tamau /tamau/ | matuʻa tāne /matuʔa taːne/ | ama /ama/ | tama /tama/ | tamana /tamana/ | apai /apai/ | tata /tata/ |
| Eat | amwarake /amʷaɾake/ | kai /kai/ | kuman /kuman/ | maun /maun/ | aniani /aniani/ | makai /makai/ | kånno' /kaːnnoʔ/ |
| Drink | nima /nima/ | unu /unu/ | enpa /enpa/ | muqun /muqun/ | inuinu /inuinu/ | ngirup /ŋirup/ | gimen /ɡimen/ |
| Love | tangira /taŋiɾa/ | hanga /haŋa/ | ulaw /ulaw/ | madaidaz /madaidaz/ | lalokau /lalokau/ | rinduai /rinduai/ | guaiya /ɡʷajja/ |
| Heart | nano /nano/ | mahatu /mahatu/ | kalumetan /kalumetan/ | is-ang /isaŋ/ | kudouna /kudouna/ | ati /ati/ | korason /koɾason/ |
| Tree | kai /kai/ | tumu rākau /tumu raːkau/ | kawi /kawi/ | kahu /kahu/ | au /au/ | kayu /kaju/ | trongkon /tɾoŋkon/ |
| House | auti /auti/ | hare /haɾe/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | lumaq /lumaq/ | ruma /ɾuma/ | rumah /rumah/ | guma' /ɡumaʔ/ |
| Dog | kamea /kamea/ | paihega /paiheŋa/ | suwan /suwan/ | asu /asu/ | sisia /sisia/ | ukui /ukui/ | ga'lågu /ɡaʔlaːɡu/ |
| Cat | katu /katu/ | kati /kati/ | kating /katiŋ/ | ngingiyaw /ŋiŋijaw/ | gosi /ɡosi/ | mayau /majau/ | katu /katu/ |
| Hand | bai /bai/ | rima /ɾima/ | lima /lima/ | ima /ima/ | imana /imana/ | jari /dʒari/ | kånnai /kaːnnai/ |
| Eye | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | matana /matana/ | mata /mata/ | matå /mataː/ |
| Hello | mauri /mauɾi/ | ʻiorana /ʔioɾana/ | marayas /maɾajas/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | namo gida /namo ɡida/ | salam /salam/ | håfa adai /haːfa adai/ |
| Thank you | ko rabwa /ko ɾabʷa/ | maururu /mauɾuɾu/ | kasapakan /kasapakan/ | uninang /uninaŋ/ | oi namo /oi namo/ | terima kasih /terima kasih/ | si yu'os ma'åse' /si juʔos maʔaːseʔ/ |
| One | teuana /teuana/ | tahi /tahi/ | sa /sa/ | tasa /tasa/ | ta /ta/ | satu /satu/ | unu /unu/ |
| Good | raoiroi /ɾaoiɾoi/ | riva /ɾiva/ | mauruway /mauɾuwai/ | masial /masial/ | namo /namo/ | manah /manah/ | maolek /maolek/ |
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