View source for Tobian language

{{Short description|Micronesian language spoken in Palau}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Tobian
|nativename=''Ramarih Hatohobei''
|states=[[Palau]]
|region=[[Hatohobei]], [[Koror]], [[Sonsorol]]
|pushpin_map = Southeast Asia
|coordinates = {{coord|3.00|131.17}}
|speakers=150
|date=2017
|ref=<ref name=e21>{{e21}}</ref>
|familycolor=Austronesian
|fam2=[[Malayo-Polynesian languages|Malayo-Polynesian]]
|fam3=[[Oceanic languages|Oceanic]]
|fam4=[[Micronesian languages|Micronesian]]
|fam5=Micronesian Proper
|fam6=Nuclear Micronesian
|fam7=[[Chuukic–Pohnpeic languages|Chuukic–Pohnpeic]]
|fam8=[[Chuukic languages|Chuukic]]
|nation=[[Hatohobei]]<ref>[https://pacificdigitallibrary.org/cgi-bin/pdl?e=d-000off-pdl--00-2--0--010-TE--4-------0-1l--10en-50---20-fullsize-Japanese--00-3-1-00bySR-0-0-000utfZz-8-00&a=d&cl=CL1.3&d=HASH0105979faa9865d55617c4e2.3 Hatohobei State Constitution], Article 12 Section 1.</ref>
|script= [[Latin script]]<ref name=e21>{{e21}}</ref>
|iso3=tox
|glotto=tobi1238
|glottorefname=Tobian
}}{{Infobox language
|name=Pidgin Tobi
|region=
|speakers=none
|date=
|ref=
|familycolor=Pidgin
|family=Tobi-based pidgin
|iso3=none
|glotto2=hora1238
|glottorefname2=Horace Holden's Pidgin Tobi
}}

'''Tobian''' ({{lang|tox|ramarih Hatohobei}}, literally "the language of Tobi") is the language of [[Tobi (island)|Tobi]], one of the [[Southwest Islands (Palau)|Southwest Islands]] of Palau, and the main island of [[Hatohobei]] state. Tobian is a [[Micronesian languages|Micronesian language]] spoken by approximately 150 people, about 22 are native speakers. The speakers are located in either the island of Tobi or in [[Echang]], a hamlet of [[Koror]], the former capital of Palau. Tobian and [[Sonsorolese language|Sonsorolese]] are very close, and appear to be gradually merging towards a new dialect called "Echangese".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Person, Self, and Experience: Exploring Pacific Ethnopsychologies|last=White & Kirkpatrick|first=Geoffrey & John|publisher=The Regents of the University of California|year=1985|isbn=0-520-05280-3|location=Berkeley & Los Angeles, California|pages=266}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Grammar & Vocabulary of the Language of Sonsorol - Tobi|last=CAPELL|first=ARTHUR|publisher=Washington Pacific Science Office, National Research Council|year=1951|location=Washington}}</ref> Earlier in the 20th century, about 1000 people lived on the island. Shortly before and during the First World War, those numbers dropped severely due to an abundance of disease.

== Classification ==
Tobian and the dialects of [[Sonsorol]], [[Merir]], and [[Pulo Ana]], the other inhabited Southwest Islands, are closely related to the languages spoken in the [[Federated States of Micronesia]] outer islands of [[Yap State|Yap]] and [[Chuuk Lagoon]]. These include [[Ulithi]] and the [[Central Carolines]]. Altogether, these languages form a sub-group within the Micronesian languages. The names of these dialects are the terms that are commonly used in European terms. Below are the native names as compared to the common names:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Common name !! Native name
|-
| Sonsorol || Doŋo′sa:ru
|-
| Pul, Pulo Ana || Pu:r
|-
|Merir
|Me′lel
|-
|Tobi
|Torovei
|}

Tobi is the basis of a local [[pidgin]].<ref>{{glottolog|hora1238|Horace Holden's Pidgin Tobi}}</ref>

==Examples==
* animal = ''mar''
* coconut palm = ''ruh''
* goodbye = ''sabuho''
* language = ''ramarih''
* soldierfish = ''red''

===Counting===
* one = ''sewo''
* two = ''huwou''
* three = ''soruo''
* four = ''fauwo''

This is only base counting. There are different numerals for a lot of different objects.<ref>Base Counting Words by Isauro Andrew [http://tobi.gmu.edu/wordweek/vocabulary/countingbase.html] Isauro Andrew</ref>

== Phonology ==

=== Vowels ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Vowels<ref name=":0" />
! colspan="2" |
! Front
! Central
! Back
|-
! rowspan="2" | High
! {{small|close}}
| {{IPA link|i}}
| {{IPA link|ɨ}} {{ns}} {{IPA link|ʉ}}
| {{IPA link|u}}
|-
! {{small|open}}
| {{IPA link|i̯}}
|
| {{IPA link|u̯}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mid
! {{small|close}}
| {{IPA link|e}}
| {{IPA link|ø}}
| {{IPA link|o}}
|-
! {{small|open}}
| {{IPA link|e̯}}
| {{IPA link|œ}}
| {{IPA link|o̯}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | Low
! {{small|close}}
| {{IPA link|ã}}
|
|
|-
! {{small|open}}
| {{IPA link|a}}
|
|
|}

"œ" is used rarely and sounds similar to the French "eu" but the lips do not round out at the end of the sound and has critical meaning in words. There is a central low vowel that sounds like the "u" in "but", but it does not have semantic value and it has very rare occurrence.<ref name=":0" />

=== Diphthongs ===
There are a lot of diphthongs in Tobian and according to Capell, "several of them are difficult for Europeans".<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable"
! diphthong !! colspan="2" | example
|-
|äe || {{lang|tox|mäe}} || breadfruit
|-
|äi || {{lang|tox|fäivi}} || woman
|-
|aḛ || {{lang|tox|wa′ŋaḛt}} || then
|-
|ai || {{lang|tox|maik}} || swordfish
|-
|a:i || {{lang|tox|ma:il}} || forehead decoration
|-
|ao̯ || {{lang|tox|wao̯}} || top
|-
|au || {{lang|tox|jau}} || needle
|-
|a:u || {{lang|tox|sa:u}} || piece
|-
|ei || {{lang|tox|lei}} || agent of action
|-
|oʉ || {{lang|tox|woʉ}} || rather of house
|-
|øi || {{lang|tox|røi}} || coconut oil
|-
|øʉ || {{lang|tox|Pannøʉ}} || Palau
|}

=== Homonyms and near homonyms ===
Like most other languages, Tobian has examples of homonyms but they are not as abundant. Meanings can vary solely on vowel length. Also small differences in sounds can produce major differences in meanings.<ref name=":0" /> For example, the difference between voiceless (f) and voiced (v) consonants are important but there are many exceptions where it does not affect the meaning.

{| class="wikitable"
|{{lang|tox|ŋøŋa}} || 1. to chew betelnut || 2. a stick used in weaving
|-
|{{lang|tox|ʉl}} || 1. a lobster || 2. to pull, drag
|-
|{{lang|tox|taitai}} || 1. to excel, precede || 2. to shave
|}

==== Some minimal pairs ====
{| class="wikitable"
| {{lang|tox|mäk}} || tattooing
| {{lang|tox|ma}} || kind of garnish
|-
| {{lang|tox|′pannʉ}} || coconut leaf
| {{lang|tox|Pannøʉ}} || Palau
|-
| {{lang|tox|i′te}} || my name
| {{lang|tox|i′tøʉ?}} || who?
|-
| {{lang|tox|teiføʉ}} || thirsty
| {{lang|tox|taivøʉ}} || new
|-
| {{lang|tox|ŋøs}} || tired
| {{IPA|ŋo̯s}} || glans penis
|}

====Stress and prosody====
Tobian utilizes both stress and pitch accents or tones. Compared to the other dialects, it uses less musical tone. It is not a tonal language because the tone does not change the meaning of the word. Although it is not tonal, the speech has a wide variety of tone variations that appear to be emotional rather than linguistic and either show emphasis or other semantic components. Stress accents are used but not as much as English or Russian. In the past, the stress marks would normally be placed on the last syllable of the words. In the present, the stress marks can be placed either on the last syllable or the second to last syllable.

# Stress on the [[penultimate]] (second to last)
# Stress on the final syllable
# Stress  on the [[antepenultimate]] (third to last)
# Sentence stress
# [[Vowel harmony]]
# [[Vowel length]]
# Furtive vowels (Slightly heard or silent vowels)

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Consonants
!
!Bilabial
!Labio-dental
!Dental-alveolar 
!Palatal
!Velar
|-
|Plosives
|p, b
|
|t, d
|c
|k, ɡ
|-
|Nasals
|m
|
|n
|
|ŋ
|-
|Fricatives
|
|f, v
|s (z), ʂ (ʐ)
|j
|x, ɣ
|-
|Lateral
|
|
|(l)
|(ɫ)
|
|-
|Rolled
|
|
|r
|
|
|-
|Continuants
|w
|
|
|
|(w)
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Incubator|code=tox}}
*[https://www.friendsoftobi.org/tobilanguage.htm Tobian language at ''Friends of Tobi Island'']
*Open access recordings of [https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/32448 Hatohobei word lists, paradigms and narratives] are available through [[Kaipuleohone]]

{{Micronesian languages}}
{{Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages}}

[[Category:Chuukic languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Palau]]
[[Category:Hatohobei]]
[[Category:Endangered Austronesian languages]]