Culture of Fiji - Language

Language

The official language is English while the national indigenous language is Bauan which is only one of the many dialects that exist in the Fiji Group, each of the fourteen provinces more or less have their own dialect though there is a clear distinction between the dialects of the West, Central and Eastern parts of the country.

Other languages spoken in the country are Fiji Hindi, Cantonese, Rotuman, Gilbertese (Rabi Island), and Tuvaluan (Kioa Island). The Fiji Islands are traditionally linked to their island neighbours Rotuma, Tonga and Samoa, and this is evident in the culture and dialects of the Northern and Eastern provinces being Cakaudrove, Bua, Macuata, and Lau. The many dialects spoken in these four provinces consistently use sounds that are heard in Tongan and Samoan, but not so with dialects from the Western and South Western parts of Fiji. The Fijian language uses a Latin alphabet. However, the Fijian alphabet is dissimilar from the English alphabet. The following conventions exist:

• The letter "c" is pronounced like the English "th" sound in then. Laucala Bay is pronounced as 'Lauthala' Bay.
• The letter "d" is pronounced like English "nd". Nadi (the airport town) is pronounced 'Nandi'.
• The letter "b" is pronounced like English "mb" in bombast. The town of Ba is pronounced 'mBa'.
• The letter "q" is pronounced like the "ng" in the English word "finger". Beqa is pronounced mBengga.
• The letter "g" is pronounced like the "ng" in the English word "sing".
• The letter "r" is rolled as in Spanish.

In Fijian words, each vowel is given its full weight and never shortened, skipped or slurred.