Kurì

Kurì, also known as Kuri or Kurī, is a Pacific island language spoken by the people of Futuna and Alofi islands in the Wallis and Futuna archipelago. It belongs to the Polynesian language family, a branch of the Austronesian languages. Kurì is closely related to Wallisian, with which it shares a significant degree of mutual intelligibility. The language is spoken by a small community, and like many indigenous languages, it faces pressures from globalization and the dominance of more widely spoken languages.

The phonology of Kurì is characterized by a relatively small set of consonants and vowels, typical of Polynesian languages. Word stress usually falls on the penultimate syllable. Grammatically, Kurì follows a VSO (verb-subject-object) word order, though other word orders are possible depending on grammatical function. It utilizes a system of classifiers and prepositions to indicate grammatical relationships.

Historically, the language was transmitted orally through generations. With the advent of written script, efforts have been made to document and preserve Kurì. Educational initiatives and media in the Kurì language are crucial for its continued vitality. While exact figures vary, the number of speakers is limited, making its preservation a concern for linguists and cultural advocates.