Kwamera is a member of the Southern Oceanic branch of the Malayo-Polynesian language family. It is spoken by about 3,500 people on the southeast coast of Tanna Island in Tafea Province in the south of Vanuatu. In particular, it is spoken between the village of Ipikil on Sulphur Bay and Karimasaga Point.
Kwamera is also known as South Tanna or Nafe. Kwamera speakers call their language Nɨfe ("what?") or Nɨninɨfe ("saying what?"). The name Kwamera comes from the name of a mission station established by missionaries on Tanna island in the late 19th century.
Kwamera can be written with the Latin script using a spelling system developed by missionaries, who translated relgious and educational material into the language. The spelling system was revised by a Tanna orthographic committee in the 1980s, and they produced educational material in the language. They proposed writing e as é, fw as f, g as ng, i as y (when next to a vowel), ɨ as e, mw as ḿ, pw as ṕ, and u as w (when next to a vowel).
Download an alphabet chart for Kwamera (Excel)
Nermama Ipare ipaka ro 2000 hamagki ari nagkiari i en naghun nah Nɨnɨnife. Misi me tui rɨnakwein naghi nagkiari i en naha 'Kwamera' mɨsiahagɨn kwopun naha i raha hɨnakure ikɨn. Nagkiariien Ipare iraha pam kɨrirum. Nɨnɨnife in ropa mrai raka i raha.
Kwamera is the language of approximately 2000 people who live on the south-east and south coasts of the island of Tanna, Vanuatu. Nineteenth century missionaries named this language after the site of an early mission station. Speakers of the language today ordinarily call it Nɨnɨnife, or Nɨfe (saying what, or what).
Source: Kwamera Dictionary - Nɨkukua Sal Nagkiariien Nɨninɨfe by Lamont Lindstrom. 1986. (PDF)
Information about Kwemera | Numbers
Information about the Kwamera language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwamera_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwamera
http://www.language-archives.org/language/tnk
Kwamera Dictionary - Nɨkukua Sal Nagkiariien Nɨninɨfe (PDF)
Adzera, Ahamb, Äiwoo, Aneityum, Apma, Araki, Are, ʼAuhelawa, Avava, Babatana, Bariai, Bola, Big Numbas, Buhutu, Bwaidoka, Caac, Cheke Holo, Daakaka, Dorig, Hiri Motu, Hiw, Hoava, Kakabai, Kaninuwa, 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, Mwotlap, Nafsan, Nahavaq, Namakura, Naman, Nanggu, Nduke, Neve‘ei, Neverver, Ninde, North Efate, Nume, Paamese, Papapana, Raga, Rotuman, Roviana, Sa, Sakao, Saliba, Siar, Sio, Ske, Sobei, Sursurunga, Tamambo, Tami, Teanu, Tigak, Tirax, Tolai, Touo, Ubir, Ughele, Uneapa, Vatlongos, Vitu, Vurës, Western Fijian, Yabem, Yapese
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page created: 03.09.25. Last modified: 03.09.25
[top]
You can support this site by Buying Me A Coffee, and if you like what you see on this page, you can use the buttons below to share it with people you know.
If you like this site and find it useful, you can support it by making a donation via PayPal or Patreon, or by contributing in other ways. Omniglot is how I make my living.
Note: all links on this site to Amazon.com
[top]
