Documentation of two dialects, Duidui (Nduindui) and Walaha of West Ambae language in Northern Vanuatu
| Language | Duidui, Walaha |
| Depositor | Carol Aru, Michael Taiki, Emma Mala |
| Affiliation | Vanuatu Cultural Centre |
| Location | Vanuatu |
| Collection ID | 0867 |
| Grant ID | SG1177 |
| Funding Body | ELDP |
| Collection Status | Forthcoming |
| Landing Page Handle | http://hdl.handle.net/2196/bf6ad9b6-dc1e-4a40-8c1b-f8d88d7698fd |
Summary of the collection
English: The collection consists of the audiovisual documentation of Duidui (Nduindui) and Walaha dialects spoken on West Ambae in northern Vanuatu. The aim of the project is to record and preserve rich linguistic and cultural knowledge that is not yet documented and is at risk of being lost due to language shift among the younger generation.
The collection in the two dialects covers a range of natural speech data, including traditional stories, cultural practices, descriptions of customs, personal stories and interviews, which provide both linguistic and socio-cultural information. All recordings will be transcribed and translated into Bislama and English, and also glossed for morpheme meanings and parts of speech. This section will be updated as the work progresses.
Samari blong koleksen
Bislama: Koleksen ia i gat video rikoding dokiumentesen blong daelek blong Duidui (Nduindui) mo Walaha we oli toktok long hem long Wes Ambae long not blong Vanuatu. Stamba tingting blong projek ia hem i blong rikodem mo prisevem impoten save blong lanwis mo save blong kalja we oli no stap yet long riten dokiumen, mo oli save lus kwiktaem from ol yangfala jeneresen oli stap yusum ol narafala lanwis we i save mekem se stret lanwis blong olgeta i stap lus. Koleksen long tufala daelek ia, i kavaremap plante fasin blong toktok we i gat ol stori blong bifo, fasin blong kalja, fasin blong kastom, stori blong wanwan spika mo intaviu, we oli soem fasin blong toktok mo olsem wanem pipol oli yusum lanwis insaed long kalja blong olgeta. Evri rikoding bambae oli raetemaot mo transletem i go long Bislama mo Inglis, mo bambae i gat sot eksplenesen long mining mo ol difren pat blong toktok. Bambae i gat updeit long seksen ia taem wok i stap gohed.
Group represented
English: The speakers of the two dialects, Duidui and Walaha are from the Western side of the island of Ambae in northern Vanuatu. Linguistically there are two languages spoken on Ambae, commonly referred to as West Ambae and Northeast Ambae. Northeast Ambae has a number of dialects whereas West Ambae has only two dialects. The two languages are not mutually intelligible therefore, the speakers have difficulty in having effective conversations. West Ambae consists of several villages and the two main areas are Duidui and Walaha that are also village names in their respective areas. The names of the dialects spoken in these two areas are derived from the names of the areas in which each dialect is spoken. The documentation project will be carried out with speakers from some villages in both areas.
Grup we i stap insaed
Bislama: Olgeta we oli toktok long tufala daelek ia, Duidui mo Walaha, oli stap long wes saed blong aelan blong Ambae long not blong Vanuatu. Long saed blong lanwis, i gat tu lanwis we oli toktok long hem long Ambae we pipol oli kolem Wes Ambae mo Not-is Ambae. Not-is Ambae i gat fulap daelek, be Wes Ambae hem i gat tu daelek nomo. Ol spika blong tufala lanwis ia oli no save andastanem olgeta taem oli toktok from tufala lanwis ia i no semak. Wes Ambae i gat plante vilej mo tufala bigfala eria blong hem, hem i Duidui mo Walaha we tufala nem ia tu, tufala i nem blong wan vilej insaed long wanwan eria blong tufala. Nem blong tufala daelek we oli toktok long hem long tufala eria ia, i kamaot long nem blong eria we wanwan daelek i stap long hem. Long dokumentesen projek ia, bambae yumi wok wetem ol spika blong samfala vilej long tugeta eria.
Language information
English: Duidui (locally referred to and pronounced as Nduindui) and Walaha (locally pronounced as Kwalaha), are two undocumented dialects of West Ambae. The two dialects are mutually intelligible and are spoken throughout the Duidui and Walaha areas. While each dialect has distinct phonological, lexical, grammatical and cultural features, they are not considered separate languages because speakers can generally understand one another. The total number of speakers is estimated to be approximately 3,000. However, the continued use of the two dialects faces a number of challenges. Many speakers have relocated to urban centres such as Port Vila and Santo for employment and education or as a result of natural disasters affecting the island of Ambae. Consequently, many speakers, particularly the younger generations, are increasingly using Bislama in their daily communication, resulting in reduced use of the two dialects.
Infomesen long saed blong lanwis
Bislama: Duidui (we ol spika oli kolem mo talem olsem Nduindui) mo Walaha ( we ol spika oli talem olsem Kwalaha), tufala daelek blong Wes Ambae we kasem naoia, i nogat wan fomol dokiumentesen blong tufala. Ol spika blong tufala daelek ia oli yusum tufala daelek long evri ples insaed long eria blong Duidui mo Walaha mo oli save andastanem olgeta taem oli toktok. Nomata we wanwan daelek i gat ol difren saon, ol difren toktok, ol difren grama mo ol difren fasin blong kastom mo kalja, tufala daelek ia tufala i no seperet lanwis from ol spika oli save andastanem olgeta taem oli toktok. Be yus blong tufala daelek ia i fesem plante jalenj tedei. Plante spika blong tufala komiuniti i bin muv i go stap long taon olsem long Port Vila mo Santo blong wok, kasem edukesen o from ol najurol disasta we oli aftektem aelan blong Ambae. From risen ia, plante spika, speseli ol yangfala jeneresen, oli stap yusum Bislama moa long evridei komiunikesen blong olgeta, we i mekem se yus blong tufala daelek ia i stap godaon.
Special characteristics
English: This documentation collection is unique because it records two dialects with differences in phonology, vocabulary, grammar and cultural features, which has limited prior documentation. The collection in the two dialects cover a range of natural speech data on traditional stories, cultural practices, descriptions of customs, personal stories and interviews which provide both linguistic and socio-cultural information. This collection preserves the knowledge from elders, some of which are not documented and are at risk of being lost due to language shift among the younger generation.
Ol samting we oli spesel
Bislama: Dokiumentesen koleksen ia i spesel from hem i rikodem tufala daelek we tufala i gat difren saon (fonoloji), wod (vokabulari), grama mo ol fasin blong kalja mo kastom we i nogat plante dokiumentesen bifo long hem. Koleksen ia long tufala daelek ia, i kavaremap plante stret toktok long ol stori, fasin blong kalja mo kastom, diskripsen blong kastom, ol stori blong wanwan spika mo intaviu we oli givim infomesen long saed blong lanwis mo tu long saed blong hao ol spika oli liv. Koleksen ia i prisevem save blong ol olfala we samfala save ia i no stap long ol riten dokiumen mo i save lus kwiktaem from ol yangfala jenersesen oli stap yusum ol narafala lanwis we save mekem se stret lanwis blong olgeta i stap lus.
Collection contents
English: The collection consists of the audiovisual documentation of Duidui and Walaha dialects. It will contain a wide range of genres (traditional stories, cultural practices, descriptions of customs, personal stories, and interviews). The corpus will be transcribed and translated into Bislama and English and glossed for morpheme meanings and parts of speech.
Ol samting we i stap insaed long Koleksen
Bislama: Koleksen ia i gat video rikoding dokiumentesen blong tufala daelek, Duidui mo Walaha. Hem i kaveremap plante difren fasin blong yusum lanwis long ol difren situesen ( ol kastom stori, fasin blong kalja mo kastom, diskripsen blong kastom fasin, ol wanwan stori mo intaviu). Ol data ia bae i go tru long transkripsen mo translesen i go long Bislama mo Inglis mo bae i gat sot eksplenesen long mining mo ol difren pat blong toktok.
Collection history
English: This project is funded by ELDP Small Grant (SG) and starts on 1st July 2026 and ends on 30th June 2027. The first data collection begins on August to October 2026. The second documentation period begins on January to April 2027.
Histri blong Koleksen
Bislama: ELDP Smol Grant (SG) nao i fandem projek mo bambae i stat long 1 Julai 2026 mo i finis long 30 Jun 2027. Fes koleksen blong data i stat long Okis i go kasem Oktomba 2026. Sekon koleksen blong data i stat long Januware i go kasem Eprel 2027.
Other Information
English: The project is exciting for the community because they recognise that both Duidui and Walaha dialects are greatly influenced by Bislama. Elderly speakers will contribute to storytelling, cultural practices, descriptions of customs, personal stories and interviews while four younger speakers will be trained in recording, transcription and translation. Transcriptions will use the orthography as agreed by the community.
Ol narafala infomesen
Bislama: Projek ia i mekem komiuniti oli hapi tumas from oli luksave se Bislama i gat bigfala impak long tufala daelek, Duidui mo Walaha. Ol olfala spika bambae oli talem ol stori, fasin blong kastom mo kalja, diskripsen blong kastom, ol wanwan stori mo intaviu, mo i gat fo yangfala spika we bambae oli kasem trening olsem wanem oli rikodem, transkraebem mo transletem ol data. Komiuniti bambae i agri long speling we i stap long transkripsen.
Acknowledgement and citation
English: The depositor acknowledges the speakers, elders, chiefs and community members of the Duidui and Walaha areas of West Ambae for their participation, support and willingness to share their language, stories and cultural knowledge. Appreciation is also extended to the Vanuatu Cultural Centre for institutional support and to all the research assistants and language consultants who contribute to the documentation, transcription, translation and annotation of the materials.
To refer to any data from this collection, please cite as follows:
Aru, Carol 2027. Documentation of two dialects, Duidui (Nduindui) and Walaha of West Ambae language in Northern Vanuatu. Endangered Languages Archive. Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/2196/76e7027a-1ba5-4bca-9e2d-7a8532ba7cbd. Accessed on [insert date here].
Bislama: Pesen we i putum koleksen long akaev i talem tangkiu long ol spika, ol olfala, ol jif mo ol memba blong komiuniti blong Duidui mo Walaha long Wes Ambae from sapot blong olgeta, mo from we oli redi blong searem lanwis blong olgeta, ol stori mo save blong kastom. Tangkiu tu i go long Vanuatu Kaljorol Senta from sapot blong hem, mo tu long olgeta we oli givhan long risej, mo ol lanwis konsalten we oli givhan long saed blong dokiumentesen, transkripsen, translesen, mo diskraebem mining blong ol toktok.
Blong yusum eni data insaed long koleksen ia, plis raetem olsem:
Aru,Carol 2027. Dokumentesen blong tufala daelek, Duidui (Nduindui) mo Walaha blong Wes Ambae lanwis long not blong Vanuatu. Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/2196/76e7027a-1ba5-4bca-9e2d-7a8532ba7cbd. Accessed on [insert date here].
