Makuva language

Extinct Austronesian language of East Timor
(Redirected from Maku'a language)

Makuva, also known as Makuʼa or Lóvaia,[3] is an apparently extinct Austronesian language spoken at the northeast tip of East Timor near the town of Tutuala.

Makuva
Makuʼa, Lóvaia
Native toEast Timor
Native speakers
extinct since 1950s[1] to 56 (2010 census)[2]
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3lva
Glottologmaku1277
Distribution of ethnic Makuva in East Timor

Makuva has been heavily influenced by neighboring East Timorese Papuan languages, to the extent that it was long thought to be a Papuan language. The ethnic population was 50 in 1981, but the younger generation uses Fataluku as their first or second language. A 2003 report estimated that there were only five fluent speakers of the language.[4]

Numbers

Numbers in Makuva
Number Makuva
1 itetlá
2 urua
3 okelo
4 oʼaka
5 olima
6 oneme
7 oíko
8 oava
9 osia
10 ideli

References

  1. ^ Noorderlicht Noorderlicht Nieuws: Raadselachtig Rusenu
  2. ^ Makuva at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  3. ^ van Engelenhoven, Aone (2010). "The Makuva Enigma: Locating a Hidden Language in East Timor" (PDF). Revue Roumaine de linguistique. 80: 161–181.
  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Cite_Q at line 13: attempt to index a nil value.

External links