vakavan

Vakavan is a fictional language spoken by the Vakavan people of the Tekara archipelago in the Southern Sea. The name Vakavan also denotes the cultural group and their traditional speech. In the imagined world, Vakavan is one of several languages that emerged from Tekara’s coastal trade networks.

Geographic distribution and status: It is spoken by an estimated 2,800 to 3,200 people, primarily in coastal villages on Tekara’s southern islands. It is considered endangered, with younger generations increasingly fluent in Tekaran, the dominant national language, and in urban contact languages. Community-led revival programs and school instruction aim to sustain the language.

Linguistic characteristics: Vakavan is described as an analytic language with a predominantly SVO (subject–verb–object) word order. It employs postposed pronouns and demonstratives, a two-number noun system, and an inclusive vs. exclusive distinction in the first person plural pronouns. Verbs use preverbal particles to indicate aspect and mood, with limited inflection for tense. The phoneme inventory includes plosives p, t, k, nasals m, n, ŋ, and fricatives s and h, along with a vowel system that features short and long vowels.

Writing and culture: Vakavan has a syllabary known as the Kav script, developed during early contact with neighboring communities and used in ceremonial texts and children’s books. Most speakers are bilingual in Tekaran. The language plays a role in traditional songs, storytelling, and rituals, and contemporary media in Vakavan is expanding within regional communities.