Woleaian

Woleaian is a Nuclear Chuukic language of the Oceanic branch of Austronesian, spoken on Woleai, Eauripik, Faraulep, Ifalik, Elato, and Lamotrek in Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, and in diaspora communities. Recent fieldwork estimates 3,000–6,000 speakers and describes six closely related atoll-based varieties. Transmission remains strong on the outer islands, where children learn Woleaian as a first language and it is the main language of most everyday domains, so recent scholarship does not classify it as endangered. Woleaian has a rich vowel system, numeral and possessive classifiers, and flexible but actor–verb–undergoer-dominant order. Modern writing uses Latin-based orthographies; an indigenous syllabary once used mainly for decoration and ritual had largely disappeared by the late twentieth century.