Fijian

== Overview ==
Fijian ('Na Vosa Vakaviti') is an Austronesian language of the Malayo-Polynesian family spoken by some 350,000–450,000 ethnic Fijians as a native language. The 2013 Constitution established Fijian as an official language of Fiji, along with English and Hindi, and there is discussion about establishing it as the "national language", though English and Hindi would remain official. Fijian is a VOS language.
Standard Fijian is based on the speech of Bau, which is an East Fijian language.
== National Language Debate ==
In May and June 2005, a number of prominent Fiji Islanders called for the status of Fijian to be upgraded. It was not an official language before the adoption of the 1997 Constitution, which made it co-official with English and Fiji Hindi. It is still not a compulsory subject in schools, however; the present Education Minister, Ro Teimumu Kepa, has endorsed calls for it to be made so, as has Great Council of Chiefs Chairman Ratu Ovini Bokini. Similar calls came from Misiwini Qereqeretabua, the Director of the Institute of Fijian Language and Culture, and from Apolonia Tamata, a linguistics lecturer at Suva's University of the South Pacific, who both said that recognition of the Fijian language is essential to the nation's basic identity and as a unifying factor in Fiji's multicultural society.
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry also endorsed the call for Fijian to be made a national language and a compulsory school subject if the same status be given to Fiji Hindi, a position echoed by Krishna Vilas of the National Reconciliation Committee.
== Fijian excerpt from Wikipedia article "Cakaudrove" ==
E tini ka va (14) taucoko na vei-yasana e Viti. O Cakaudrove e dua na yasana vakaturaga mai Vanua Levu, ka ratou wili kina e tolu na yanuyanu vei-volekati sara, o Taveuni, Rabi vata kei Kioa. E 2,816 na Sukuea na Kilomita na levu ni vanua e kumuni vata tu kina na vanua oqo, ka ra lewe 49,344 taucoko na lewe ni vanua e Cakaudrove. O Savusavu e dua na kena tauni levu toka mai Cakaudrove raraba ka ra lewe 4,962 taucoko na lewe ni vanua kina.
E levu sara na Turaga Bale, Marama Bale, Gone Turaga kei na Gone Marama era cavu tu mai kina me vaka-taki : Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau (na i otioti ni Kovana levu e Viti, kai matai talega ni Peresitedi ka taura nai tutu vaka Tui Cakau e Vanua Levu). Na Turaga na Paraiminisita vakacegu, Hon. Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka. Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu (na Turaga ka taura tu oqo na i tutu vaka Tui Cakau) kei na so tale.
== Video ==
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Category:Austronesian Languages
Category:Oceania
Category:Asia
Category:Pacific
Category:Fiji