Name the language
This week we have a recording of a mystery language. Can you identify it? Here it is.
A few clues: this language is part of a large, widely scattered language family and is spoken mainly on a group of quite remote islands. This language has a regular spelling system devised by a missionary during the 19th century.
The recording is a news item from an online radio station. I don’t understand it, but I think the story has something to do with Walmart.
28 Responses to “Name the language”
David on 19 Aug 2006 at 2:15 pm #
might the language be maltese?
David on 19 Aug 2006 at 3:14 pm #
but i’m not able to provide a translation
Simon on 19 Aug 2006 at 4:06 pm #
No, it’s not Maltese.
David on 19 Aug 2006 at 4:14 pm #
Is it one of the languages from the south-east asian areas like indonesia?
David on 19 Aug 2006 at 4:28 pm #
could it even be hawaiian or fijian?
Simon on 19 Aug 2006 at 4:29 pm #
It’s part of the same language family as Indonesia, but isn’t spoken in Southeast Asia.
David on 19 Aug 2006 at 4:36 pm #
i’ll try and figure it out tomorrow its late here in australia bye!!
Declan on 19 Aug 2006 at 4:37 pm #
Sounds like Manx to me.
Podolsky on 19 Aug 2006 at 4:43 pm #
It sounds like a Melanesian language, possibly Marshallese.
Simon on 19 Aug 2006 at 5:29 pm #
Declan - it’s not Manx.
Podolsky - you’re getting warmer, but it’s not Marshallese.
TJ on 19 Aug 2006 at 5:30 pm #
It is definitely Asian.
My guess would be philippino or Thai, but it includes some missionaries here hmmm so maybe it is philippino…. or malay?
Simon on 19 Aug 2006 at 6:01 pm #
It’s not Philippino or Malay.
Benjamin Bruce on 19 Aug 2006 at 7:37 pm #
My guess was Chamorro, but its alphabet was invented in 1668. Something similar maybe?
TJ on 19 Aug 2006 at 8:57 pm #
ummmmm ………Maori ?
Bill Walsh on 19 Aug 2006 at 10:29 pm #
Samoan?
Somedude on 20 Aug 2006 at 1:43 am #
This is a long shot, but…Javanese?
AR on 20 Aug 2006 at 1:51 am #
I didn’t listen to it, but from the description, it sounds like it may be a polynesian language particularly Hawaiian. Although that language has been written for centuries it was standardised in the 19th century. Anyway, are polynesian languages the same family as bahasa malaysia/bahasa indonesia. The only other guess I have is the language from madagascar.
Somedude on 20 Aug 2006 at 2:06 am #
Malagasy, that’s it. I checked. Where’s my prize?
TJ on 20 Aug 2006 at 4:55 am #
tataaa!!! @@
and how did you get that!!?
Patrick Hall on 20 Aug 2006 at 7:58 am #
Argh, I had convinced myself it was Fijiian.
Simon on 20 Aug 2006 at 10:26 am #
Somedude - sorry, no prize for you. It’s not Malagasy.
Other guesses are in the right language family - Polynesian, but not the right language.
This weeks winner is - Patrick Hall - it is indeed Fijian.
Your prize, if you choose to accept it, is to come up with a question for next week’s quiz. If you have any bright ideas, please email me (questions[at]omniglot[dot]com). Please google-test any questions first though - i.e. if you can find the answer quickly in Google of another search engine, the question is too easy.
I’ve just noticed that one of David’s suggestions was Fijian - so he got it as well. Well done!
TJ on 20 Aug 2006 at 10:47 am #
and you forgot to add, to give me the answer before posting the question here :)
Carl on 20 Aug 2006 at 11:14 am #
It sounds like Tagalog to me.
Somedude on 20 Aug 2006 at 11:48 am #
Oh, poot!
Hmmmmm…the only thing missing I guess was that Madagascar is an island, not a group of them.
Well, better luck next time, I guess.
Patrick Hall on 20 Aug 2006 at 10:44 pm #
Hey wow :)
Okay I’ll get a suggestion into an email, Simon.
Love the site. ☺
David on 21 Aug 2006 at 8:13 am #
I asked earlier was it fijian. All well good luck next time.
Patrick Hall on 21 Aug 2006 at 4:38 pm #
David, drop me a line at pathall@gmail and we can collaborate to pick next week’s language, what do you think?
I hadn’t read your comment, I promise. ☺
David Thompson on 30 Aug 2006 at 11:02 am #
While obviously far too late in stumbling across this, I picked it out straight away. I’m from down in New Zealand, but my mother was born in Fiji (to New Zealander parents) - I guess when someone tells you off in a language when you’re growing up, certain recognition patterns stay with you for life :-)