Touo language
The Touo language, also known as "Baniata" ("Mbaniata") or "Lokuru", is spoken over the southern part of Rendova Island, located in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands. Classification. Touo is generally seen to be a member of the tentative Central Solomons family, although Glottolog considers it an isolate. Pedrós (2015) cautiously suggests Lavukaleve as the closest relative to Touo. Most of the surrounding languages to Touo belong to the Oceanic subgroup of the Austronesian language family. Names. The Touo language is sometimes called the "Baniata" ("Mbaniata") or "Lokuru" language, after the largest two villages where the language  is spoken. The word "Touo" comes from the ethnonym that Touo speakers use to refer to themselves. Phonology. Consonants. Touo consonants are: Vowels. Touo vowels have phonemically contrastive tense/lax vowels. Some minimal pairs showing the tense/lax vowel phonemic distinction in Touo: Grammar. Word order in Touo is SOV. Touo has four genders. Only in certain paradigms of the singular number can neuter I and II be distinguished. Touo distinguishes four numbers.