Can you identify the language, and do you know where it’s spoken?
15 thoughts on “Language quiz”
Not much of a clue but I would guess a minority language from the phillopines,
I live where this language is spoken. I’ll give the others a chance to guess though, so here’s a clue. It’s an Austronesian language spoken in the South Pacific.
Sounds Polynesian, yes? But I guess that’s the easy part.
Rapa Nui, spoken on Easter Island?
Tahitian?? Interesting to hear the almost Spanish-sounding lilt and frequent use of the alveolar trill.
Boy, I can’t think of any Polynesian language that has that trill or /ð/, let alone both. There are plenty I don’t know anything about, though…
My first impression was of an Australian aboriginal language but pronounced with a non-native accent. But then it seemed to me it might possibly be a Malayo-Polynesian language of eastern Indonesia, where their phonology starts to shade into the open syllables of the Oceanic languages.
But the trilled [r] and [ð] do sound like this could be Rapa Nui spoken by someone whose first language is Spanish. Only problem is that /d/ is not a typical consonant of any Polynesian language, and a quick look at the Rapa Nui Language entry in Wikipedia confirms that it doesn’t have that sound. So I’m still at a bit of a loss to figure out where this language fits in the grand scheme of things.
chamorro? just a shot in the dark
My first thought was Tahitian (I don’t know why), but I was struck by the Spanish character, so I agree with those who said Rapa Nui.
I can only figure out this much:
In the middle of the file he says: “Tu conoveir a una tomata” (You know a tomato). Later he states the same thing about a clown, who is mentioned several times. Noah has a big role in the story, as well.
Yes, I am joking. But that’s what it sounds like. Honestly, I thought it was Basque.
I have no idea, definitely not one of the most spoken languages, my guess at in is a north African dialect. But it does sound a little Portuguese. But it could be from North Europe as well
The answer is Fijian (Vakaviti), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken mainly in Fiji.
Fijian was my second guess after Tahitian because I heard the word ‘levu’, as in the islands Vanua Levu/Viti Levu. Knew I should have submitted this too…!
Wow.
Not at all what I thought it would sound like.
@Simon, I should add that the sample recording of Fijian (Na vosa vakaviti) on this site really needs an update. It would make anyone familiar with the language cringe.
Not much of a clue but I would guess a minority language from the phillopines,
I live where this language is spoken. I’ll give the others a chance to guess though, so here’s a clue. It’s an Austronesian language spoken in the South Pacific.
Sounds Polynesian, yes? But I guess that’s the easy part.
Rapa Nui, spoken on Easter Island?
Tahitian?? Interesting to hear the almost Spanish-sounding lilt and frequent use of the alveolar trill.
Boy, I can’t think of any Polynesian language that has that trill or /ð/, let alone both. There are plenty I don’t know anything about, though…
My first impression was of an Australian aboriginal language but pronounced with a non-native accent. But then it seemed to me it might possibly be a Malayo-Polynesian language of eastern Indonesia, where their phonology starts to shade into the open syllables of the Oceanic languages.
But the trilled [r] and [ð] do sound like this could be Rapa Nui spoken by someone whose first language is Spanish. Only problem is that /d/ is not a typical consonant of any Polynesian language, and a quick look at the Rapa Nui Language entry in Wikipedia confirms that it doesn’t have that sound. So I’m still at a bit of a loss to figure out where this language fits in the grand scheme of things.
chamorro? just a shot in the dark
My first thought was Tahitian (I don’t know why), but I was struck by the Spanish character, so I agree with those who said Rapa Nui.
I can only figure out this much:
In the middle of the file he says: “Tu conoveir a una tomata” (You know a tomato). Later he states the same thing about a clown, who is mentioned several times. Noah has a big role in the story, as well.
Yes, I am joking. But that’s what it sounds like. Honestly, I thought it was Basque.
I have no idea, definitely not one of the most spoken languages, my guess at in is a north African dialect. But it does sound a little Portuguese. But it could be from North Europe as well
The answer is Fijian (Vakaviti), a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken mainly in Fiji.
The recording comes from the GRN (Noah)
Fijian was my second guess after Tahitian because I heard the word ‘levu’, as in the islands Vanua Levu/Viti Levu. Knew I should have submitted this too…!
Wow.
Not at all what I thought it would sound like.
@Simon, I should add that the sample recording of Fijian (Na vosa vakaviti) on this site really needs an update. It would make anyone familiar with the language cringe.