Lo-Toga language


Lo-Toga is an Oceanic language spoken by about 580 people on the islands of Lo and Toga, in the Torres group of northern Vanuatu. The language has sometimes been called Loh or Toga, after either of its two dialects.

Situation and dialects

Its 580 speakers live mostly in Lo and Toga, the two main islands in the southern half of the Torres group. The same language is also spoken by the small populations of the two other islands of Linua and Tegua.
Lo-Toga is itself divided into two very close dialects, Lo and Toga.
Conversely, Lo-Toga is a distinct language from the other language of the Torres group, Hiw.

Phonology

The Lo dialect of Lo-Toga has 13 phonemic vowels. These include 8 monophthongs /i e ɛ a ə ɔ o ʉ/, and five diphthongs /i͡e i͡ɛ i͡a o͡ə o͡ɔ/.

Grammar

Lo-Toga presents various forms of verb serialization.
The system of personal pronouns contrasts clusivity, and distinguishes three numbers.
Together with its neighbour Hiw, Lo-Toga has developed a rich system of verbal number, whereby certain verbs change their root depending on the number of their main participant. Lo-Toga has 18 such pairs of verbs.
Spatial reference in Lo-Toga is based on a system of geocentric directionals, which is in part typical of Oceanic languages, and yet innovative.