Futunan

Futunan is a Polynesian language spoken on the island of Futuna in Wallis and Futuna, a French overseas collectivity in the South Pacific. It is one of the two indigenous languages of the territory, alongside Wallisian (Uvean), which is spoken on Wallis Island. Futunan belongs to the Oceanic branch of the Austronesian language family, within the Polynesian subgroup, and is closely related to other central Pacific languages such as Samoan, Tongan, and Wallisian. The language exhibits typical Polynesian phonology and morphology, including a relatively small consonant inventory, vowel-rich syllables, and the use of glottal stops in phonology. In writing, Futunan is generally spelled with the Latin alphabet; local orthographies have been developed for education and cultural materials.

Ethnically, Futunan is associated with the Futuna people, who live primarily in the two traditional districts of Alo and Sigave on the island. The language functions in traditional and daily communication, oral literature, and cultural rites, though in contemporary life French is the dominant language of schooling, administration, and media in Wallis and Futuna. Consequently, Futunan is considered a minority language in the territory, with multilingual use common among speakers who switch between Futunan, Wallisian, and French.

Efforts to document and revitalize Futunan include linguistic descriptions and community initiatives to preserve oral heritage, vocabulary, and customary expressions. See also Wallisian language, Futuna Island, Wallis and Futuna.