Santa Cruz (Natqgu / Natügu)

Santa Cruz is a member of the Southeast Solomonic group of Oceanic languages. It is spoken by about 5,900 people on the island of Nendö, one of the Santa Cruz Islands in Temotu province in the east of the Solomon Islands. In particular, it is spoken around Graciosa Bay in the east of Nendö. There are also some speakers of Santa Cruz in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands.

The island of Nendö is also known as Santa Cruz, Nendo, Ndeni, Nitendi or Ndende, and was historically called New Guernsey and Lord Egmont's Island. The Santa Cruz language is known as Natügu (“our language”) by the people who speak it. The name of the language is also written Natqgu or Natqnnga. Dialects of Santa Cruz include Bënwë, Londai, Malo, Nea and Nooli

Santa Cruz is written with the Latin alphabet. There are several spelling systems.

Santa Cruz alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for Santa Cruz (PDF)

Sample text

Nëdwa-öbö-lë-ngöm Këpten badö kru nedeng Aijë nëalängitikö ebio le mëli kâ më öngalä. Sâ tüöpipebële badö kä, “Lolvëoamu waea la ä dwaâ-aniamu. Yëlumâ, sâ tüöpimle kä naobülvëti-ëpwää mökâ ä napinemâ kä nâblo tülvö kä mnâ mökâ

Translation

The captain and his crew were rudely awoken on the Hygeia from the sea swell making it tilt in the early morning. He said to them, “Hold that wire down and jump over it quickly.” I returned, then he said that I should look throughout there and I should say how many men stayed there.

Source: A Grammar Sketch of Natqgu [ntu]: An Oceanic language of Santa Cruz, Solomon Islands - Brenda H (2022)

Videos in Santa Cruz

Information about Santa Cruz | Numbers

Links

Information about the Santa Cruz language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Cruz_language
http://olac.ldc.upenn.edu/language/ntu
https://www.sil.org/resources/search/language/ntu

Southeast Solomonic languages

ꞌAreꞌare, Arosi, Gela, Ghari, Kahua, Kwaio, Kwara’ae, Lau, Lengo, Longgu, Oroha, Owa, Sa'a, Santa Cruz, Talise

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 29.04.24. Last modified: 09.05.24

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