Rapa Nui language
Rapa Nui or Rapanui (English: /ˌræpəˈnuːi/, Rapa Nui: [ˈɾapa ˈnu.i], Spanish: [ˈrapa ˈnu.i]), also known as Pascuan (/ˈpæskjuən/) or Pascuense, is an Eastern Polynesian language of the Austronesian language family. It is spoken on Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui.
| Rapa Nui | |
|---|---|
| Vānaŋa Rapa Nui | |
| Pronunciation | [ˈɾapa ˈnu.i] |
| Native to | Chile |
| Region | Easter Island |
| Ethnicity | Rapa Nui |
Native speakers | 1,000 (2016) |
| Latin script, possibly formerly rongorongo | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Easter Island (Chile) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-2 | rap |
| ISO 639-3 | rap |
| Glottolog | rapa1244 |
| ELP | Rapa Nui |
Rapa Nui is classified as Severely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
The island is home to a population of just under 6,000 and is a special territory of Chile. According to census data, there are 9,399 people (on both the island and the Chilean mainland) who identify as ethnically Rapa Nui. Census data does not exist on the primary known and spoken languages among these people. In 2008, the number of fluent speakers was reported as low as 800. Rapa Nui is a minority language and many of its adult speakers also speak Spanish. Most Rapa Nui children now grow up speaking Spanish and those who do learn Rapa Nui begin learning it later in life.