East Ambae

East Ambae is a member of the North-Central Vanuatu group of Southern Oceanic languages. It has about 5,000 speakers on the island of Ambae, particularly in the Lombaha area, in Penama Province in the east of Vanuatu.

East Ambae is also known as Ambae, North-East Ambae, Omba, Oba, Aoba, Walurigi, Lolovoli or Northeast Aoba. There is no traditional name for the language used by the people who speak it. Instead, they use the name of their district: the variety of the language spoken in the Lolvoli district, for example, is called leo tau Lolovoli ('language of Lolovoli').

The language was first written in the late 19th century by missionaries who devised various spelling systems using Latin alphabet. The orthography used in the East Ambae translation of the Bible (1986) is based on missionary spelling systems, and is well-established and the most widely used.

East Ambae alphabet and pronunciation

Download an alphabet chart for East Ambae (Excel)

Sample text

I Jisas mo veve lawera vena, “Lune nem tataro, nen veve mwere ngaha: ‘Mama: a henamu u gogona. Gamai gam tarani ve a tangaloi doluegi rain ladomava ginigo, ko ve a nom Ute na himei.
Gon bete na hinaga lawe gamai vataha rani na eno huri gaqarigi.
Gon ladovohogi na nomai galegaleasi, huri gamai gam ladovohogi na gineu esi ingere rau vei lawe gamai. Gon mese siregi gamai lolo galegaleasi.’ ”

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/2077/LUK.11.HNT

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos

Information about East Ambae | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about East Ambae
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Ambae_language
http://www.language-archives.org/language/omb
https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The lolovoli dialect of the North East Ambae Hyslop
https://lingweb.eva.mpg.de/channumerals/Ambae-East.htm

Oceanic languages

Adzera, Ahamb, Äiwoo, Aneityum, Apma, Araki, Are, ʼAuhelawa, Avava, Babatana, Bariai, Bola, Big Numbas, Buhutu, Bwaidoka, Bwanabwana, Caac, Cheke Holo, Daakaka, Dorig, East Ambae, Gapapaiwa, Hiri Motu, Hiw, Hoava, Kakabai, Kaninuwa, Kara, Kilivila, Kokota, Koro. Kove, Kurti, Kwamera, Lakon, Lehali, Lenakel, Lewo, Lote, Lo-Toga, Löyöp, Manam, Marovo, Maskelynes, Mato, Mavea, Mono-Alu, Mota, Motu, Mussau-Emira, Mwerlap, Mwesen, Mwotlap, Nafsan, Nahavaq, Nali, Namakura, Naman, Nanggu, Nduke, Neve‘ei, Neverver, Ninde, North Efate, Nume, Paamese, Papapana, Raga, Rotuman, Roviana, Sa, Sakao, Saliba, Seimat, Siar, Sio, Ske, Sobei, Sudest, Sursurunga, Tamambo, Tami, Teanu, Tigak, Tirax, Tolai, Touo, Tungag, Ubir, Ughele, Uneapa, Vatlongos, Vitu, Vurës, Western Fijian, Wuvulu-Aua, Yabem, Yapese

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 25.06.26. Last modified: 26.06.26

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