Niuean language facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Niuean (called ko e vagahau Niuē in Niuean) is a special language from the Polynesian family. About 8,000 people speak Niuean. Most of these speakers live in New Zealand.

In Niue, almost everyone (about 2,000 people) speaks Niuean. You can also find Niuean speakers in the Cook Islands and Tonga.

Niuean Language Family

Niuean is very close to the Tongan language. They are like cousins! Other languages that are quite similar to Niuean include Māori (spoken in New Zealand), Sāmoan, and Hawaiian. These languages all come from the same big Polynesian language family.

The Niuean Alphabet

The way Niuean is written down was created in the 1800s. This happened when Christian missionaries came to Niue. They helped to write down the language using an alphabet. The way they wrote it was influenced by the writing system of the Samoan language.

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Niuean language Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.