Tokelau

an Tokelauan (Tokelauan: te tauaga) is a language spoken in the three atolls of Tokelau in Oceania. It is closely related to Tuvaluan, both being members of the Ellicean group of the Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family. There are approximately 4,000 speakers. The Tokelau Islands have been inhabited for over two thousand years, and the Tokelauan language is thought to have developed from the languages of the original settlers. Linguistic evidence suggests that Tokelauan is closely related to Tuvaluan, which is spoken in the neighbouring country of Tuvalu. Both languages are members of the Ellicean group of the Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family. The Tokelau Islands were first settled by Polynesians from Samoa and Tonga around 950 AD. These settlers brought with them their own language, which would have been the ancestor of Tokelauan. Over time, the language would have diverged from its Tongan and Samoan roots, and developed into the distinctive language it is today. The Tokelau Islands were annexed by Britain in 1888 and placed under the administration of New Zealand. This had a significant impact on the Tokelauan language, as English became the language of education and government. Many Tokelauans also emigrated to New Zealand, where they continued to speak Tokelauan among themselves. In recent years, there has been a revival of interest in the Tokelauan language, and efforts are being made to promote its use among the Tokelauan community, both in the islands and in New Zealand. There are now a number of resources available for those interested in learning Tokelauan, including dictionaries, textbooks and online materials.