Niuafoʻou language


Niuafoou, or Niuafoʻouan, is the language spoken on Tonga's northernmost island, Niuafoou.
Niuafoʻouan has traditionally been classified as closest to Uvean and Tokelauan, in an East Uvean–Niuafoʻou branch. However, recent research suggests that it is closest to its neighbour, Tongan, as one of the Tongic languages.

Phonology

The phonology of Niuafoʻou is similar to that of Tongan, with twelve consonants and five vowel phonemes.
LabialAlveolarVelarGlottal
Nasal
Plosive
Fricative
Lateral

Vowels are more centralized when unstressed. and are de-voiced under some conditions.
Sometimes the phoneme /t/ is realized as a apico-alveolar flap. /h/ is only realized as /h/ at the beginning of words. In the middle of words, it is either /ɦ/ or /x/.

Syllable structure

Niuafoʻou has a very simple syllable structure, V. However, it is apparently transitioning towards allowing consonant clusters, due to the influence of foreign languages and the de-voicing of vowels.