dorerin Naoero
Nauruan
Austronesian (Micronesian)
Nauruan (Nauruan: dorerin Naoero; ISO 639-1 na) is the Indigenous language of Nauru and a member of the Micronesian branch of the Austronesian family. Modern comparative work derives it from Proto-Micronesian, although extensive internal sound change long made its exact position within the branch difficult to determine. Its sound system distinguishes vowel length, includes complex contrasts among labial consonants, and uses weight-sensitive stress; these features make older descriptions and spellings difficult to interpret. Nauruan is written in the Latin script, but practice varies between the older missionary-based orthography and later reform proposals, so alternative spellings remain common. The constitution does not designate an official language: Nauruan remains central to community identity and everyday life, while English is widely used in government, commerce, and education, creating growing pressure on intergenerational transmission.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Nauruan
Sources
- Kayser, Alois (1936/1993) Nauru Grammar (Die Sprache von Nauru), via ABVD 97 (Blust); Wiktionary Nauruan lemmas
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Austronesian (Micronesian)
| Meaning | Nauruan | Cia-Cia | Batak Angkola | Pukapukan | Gayo | Tetum | Musi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | ebȯk /ebɔk/ | eʼe /eʔe/ | aek /aek/ | wai /wai/ | weih /weih/ | bee /beː/ | ayek /ajek/ |
| Fire | åe /ɒe/ | api /api/ | api /api/ | awi /awi/ | rara /ɾaɾa/ | ahi /ahi/ | api /api/ |
| Sun | ekwan /ekwan/ | holeo /holeo/ | mata ni ari /mata ni ari/ | la /la/ | matanlo /matanlo/ | loron /loɾon/ | matahari /matahari/ |
| Moon | maraman /maraman/ | vula /βula/ | bulan /bulan/ | malama /malama/ | ulen /ulən/ | fulan /fulan/ | bulan /bulan/ |
| Star | edetang /edetaŋ/ | kalipopo /kalipopo/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | wetū /wetuː/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ | fitun /ˈfitun/ | bintang /bintaŋ/ |
| Night | ebům /eˈbɨm/ | morondo /morondo/ | borngin /borŋin/ | pō /poː/ | klam /klam/ | kalan /kalan/ | malem /maləm/ |
| Rain | weron /weron/ | kia /kia/ | udan /uˈdan/ | ua /ua/ | uren /uˈrən/ | udan /ˈudan/ | ujan /uˈdʒan/ |
| Wind | engin /eŋin/ | ngoi /ŋoi/ | angin /aŋin/ | matangi /mataŋi/ | kuyu /kuju/ | anin /ˈanin/ | angin /aŋin/ |
| Stone | epe /epe/ | loko /loko/ | batu /batu/ | watu /watu/ | batu /batu/ | fatuk /ˈfatuk/ | batu /batu/ |
| Sea | ijited /ijited/ | tai /tai/ | laut /laut/ | tai /tai/ | lut kolak /lut kɔlak/ | tasi /tasi/ | laot /laot/ |
| Mother | inen /inen/ | ina /ina/ | inang /inaŋ/ | matua wawine /matua wawine/ | ine /ine/ | inan /inan/ | mak /mak/ |
| Father | etȯngin /etɔŋin/ | ama /ama/ | amang /amaŋ/ | matua tāne /matua taːne/ | ama /ama/ | aman /aman/ | bapak /bapak/ |
| I | anga /aŋa/ | indaʼu /indaʔu/ | au /au/ | au /au/ | aku /aku/ | haʼu /haʔu/ | aku /aku/ |
| You | auwe /auwe/ | isoʼo /isoʔo/ | ho /ho/ | koe /koe/ | ko /ko/ | ó /ɔ/ | kau /kau/ |
| We | adei / amei /adei / amei/ | ingkita / isami /iŋkita / isami/ | hita / hami /hita / hami/ | tātou / mātou /taːtou / maːtou/ | kitə / kami /kitə / kami/ | ita / ami /ita / ami/ | kito / kami /kito / kami/ |
| Name | eg /eŋ/ | ngea /ŋea/ | goar /ɡoar/ | ingoa /iŋoa/ | gerel /ɡərəl/ | naran /ˈnaran/ | namo /namo/ |
| Person | engame /eŋame/ | mia /mia/ | halak /halak/ | tangata /taŋata/ | jema /dʒəma/ | ema /ema/ | wong /woŋ/ |
| Head | itub /itub/ | pocu /potʃu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulu /ulu/ | ulun /ulun/ | palak /palak/ |
| Eye | eme /eme/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | mata /mata/ | matan /matan/ | mato /mato/ |
| Ear | iyungen /ijuŋen/ | tolinga /toliŋa/ | pinggol /piŋɡol/ | talinga /taliŋa/ | kemiring /kəmiriŋ/ | tilun /tilun/ | telingo /teliŋo/ |
| Nose | bodin /bodin/ | ngoʼo /ŋoʔo/ | igung /iɡuŋ/ | iyu /iðu/ | iung /iuŋ/ | inus /inus/ | idung /iduŋ/ |
| Tooth | imwi /imʷi/ | ngiʼi /ŋiʔi/ | ipon /ipon/ | nio /nio/ | ipon /ipɔn/ | nehan /nehan/ | gigi /ɡiɡi/ |
| Tongue | eo /eo/ | ela /ela/ | dila /dila/ | alelo /alelo/ | délah /deːlah/ | nanaan /nanaːn/ | lidah /lidah/ |
| Hand | ebe /ebe/ | lima /lima/ | tangan /taŋan/ | lima /lima/ | pumu /pumu/ | liman /liman/ | tangan /taŋan/ |
| Foot | eana /eana/ | kake /kake/ | pat /pat/ | vae /vae/ | — | ain /ain/ | — |
| Heart | idiruko /idiruko/ | lalo /lalo/ | roha /roha/ | loto /loto/ | ate /ate/ | fuan /fuan/ | hati /hati/ |
| Bone | rȯn /rɔn/ | buku /buku/ | holi-holi /holiˈholi/ | ivi /ivi/ | tulən /tulən/ | ruin /ruin/ | tulang /tulaŋ/ |
| Blood | ra /ra/ | rea /rea/ | mudar /mudar/ | toto /toto/ | rayoh /rajɔh/ | raan /raːn/ | darah /darah/ |
| Love | ebonu /ebonu/ | peʼelu /peʔelu/ | holong /holoŋ/ | aloa /aloa/ | kunyung /kuɲuŋ/ | domin /domin/ | sayang /sajaŋ/ |
| Tree | imin ero /imin ero/ | sau /sau/ | hayu /haju/ | lākau /laːkau/ | kayu /kaju/ | ai /ai/ | kayu /kaju/ |
| Dog | robar /roˈbaːr/ | au /au/ | asu /asu/ | kulī /kuliː/ | asu /asu/ | asu /asu/ | anjing /andʒiŋ/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | mbuta /mbuta/ | huting /hutiŋ/ | pusi /pusi/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ | busa /busa/ | kucing /kutʃiŋ/ |
| Fish | iů /iɨ/ | isa /isa/ | ihan /ˈihan/ | ika /ika/ | ikən /ˈikən/ | ikan /ˈikan/ | ikan /ˈikan/ |
| Bird | imin ȯeta /imin ɔeta/ | manumanu /manumanu/ | unggas /uŋɡas/ | manu /manu/ | manuk /manuk/ | manu /manu/ | burung /buruŋ/ |
| Egg | epaitdomo /epaitdomo/ | cikolu /tʃikolu/ | pira /pira/ | wuamoa /wuamoa/ | tenaruh /tənaruh/ | tolun /tolun/ | telok /telok/ |
| House | ewak /ewak/ | kaʼana /kaʔana/ | bagas /baɡas/ | wale /wale/ | umah /umah/ | uma /uma/ | rumah /rumah/ |
| Salt | ebaratjited /ebaratjited/ | gara /ɡara/ | sira /sira/ | miti /miti/ | poa /poa/ | masin /ˈmasin/ | garam /ɡaram/ |
| Wheel | ekabiroro /ekabirɔrɔ/ | — | roda /roda/ | — | — | roda /roda/ | — |
| Eat | ijeiji /ijeiji/ | maʼa /maʔa/ | mangan /maŋan/ | kai /kai/ | mangan /maŋan/ | han /han/ | makan /makan/ |
| Drink | eren /eren/ | poroku /poroku/ | minum /minum/ | inu /inu/ | minum /minum/ | hemu /hemu/ | minum /minum/ |
| Sleep | mijimij /mijimij/ | monoko /monoko/ | modom /modom/ | moe /moe/ | nomé /nome/ | toba /ˈtoba/ | tido /tido/ |
| One | aikwen /aikwen/ | ise /ise/ | sada /sada/ | tayi /taði/ | sara /saɾa/ | ida /ida/ | siko /siko/ |
| Two | aro /aro/ | rua /rua/ | dua /dua/ | lua /lua/ | roa /roa/ | rua /ˈrua/ | duo /duo/ |
| Three | aiju /aiju/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tolu /tolu/ | tulu /tuluː/ | tolu /tolu/ | tigo /tiɡo/ |
| Five | aijimeo /aijimeo/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lima /lima/ | lime /lime/ | lima /lima/ | limo /limo/ |
| Hundred | aibu /aibu/ | hacu /hatʃu/ | saratus /saratus/ | lau /lau/ | seratus /səratus/ | atus /atus/ | seratus /səratus/ |
| Hello | ekamawir omo /ekamawir omo/ | assalamuʼalaikum /assaˈlamu ʔaˈlajkum/ | horas /horas/ | kia orana /kia oɾana/ | salam /salam/ | bondia /bondia/ | halo /halo/ |
| Thank you | tubwa kor /tubwa kor/ | tarima kasi /tarima kasi/ | mauliate /mauliate/ | meitaki /meitaki/ | berejen /bərədʒən/ | obrigadu /obɾiɡadu/ | terimo kasih /terimo kasih/ |
| Good | omo /omo/ | umela /umela/ | denggan /deŋɡan/ | lelei /lelei/ | jeroh /dʒeɾoh/ | diʼak /diʔak/ | bagus /baɡus/ |
| New | etaimeduw /etaimeduw/ | vukou /βukou/ | imbaru /imbaru/ | wou /wou/ | ayu /aju/ | foun /foun/ | anyar /aɲar/ |
| Red | ȯmwirara /ɔmʷirara/ | modhea /moɗea/ | rara /rara/ | kula /kula/ | ilang /ilaŋ/ | mean /mean/ | merah /ˈmerah/ |
| White | bərəbər /bərəbər/ | mopute /mopute/ | bontar /bontar/ | tea /tea/ | putih /putih/ | mutin /mutin/ | putih /putih/ |
| Black | etangang /etaŋaŋ/ | mokito /mokito/ | lomlom /lomlom/ | uli /uli/ | item /item/ | metan /metan/ | item /itəm/ |
Open the interactive map: Word Map · HanMap · Name Map · Word Order · Tree
Part of LangMap — a linguistic visualization project. This is a static, crawlable summary; the interactive maps offer pronunciation audio, filters, and a globe view.
Made by Heuron Inc. · GitHub · cho@heuron.com · LangMap home