Marquesan Language - North Vs South Marquesan

North Vs South Marquesan

North Marquesan is found in the northern islands, and South Marquesan in the southern islands, as well as on Ua Huka in the northern Marquesas.

The most noticeable differences between the varieties are Northern Marquesan /k/ in some words where South Marquesan has /n/ or /ʔ/ (glottal stop), and /h/ in all words where South Marquesan has /f/. For example,

The northern dialects fall roughly into four groups:

Tai Pi, spoken in the eastern third of Nuku Hiva, and according to some linguists, a separate language, Tai Pi Marquesan

Tei`i, spoken in western Nuku Hiva

Eastern Ua Pu

Western Ua Pu

The southern dialects fall roughly into three groups:

Pepane: Eastern Hiva `Oa and Ua Huka

Fatu Hiva

Nuku: Western Hiva `Oa and Tahuata

North Marquesan exhibits some interesting characteristics. While some Polynesian languages maintained the velar nasal /ŋ/, many have lost the distinction between the nasals /ŋ/ and /n/, merging both into /n/. North Marquesan, like some New Zealand Māori dialects, prefers /k/. Another feature is that, while some Polynesian languages replace *k with /ʔ/, North Marquesan has retained it. (Tahitian and formal Samoan have no /k/ whatsoever, and the /k/ in modern Hawaiian is pronounced either or and derives from Polynesian *t.)