What are the Wallis & Futuna Languages?

For those of you who like a bit of context, Wallisian is part of a Polynesian branch of the huge Austronesian family of languages. Its closest relative languages are Futunan, Niuafoʻou, Tongan, Samoan and other Samoic languages.

The language has borrowed extensively from Tongan due to the Tongan invasion of the island in the 15th and 16th centuries, and it has also borrowed a lot of vocabulary from French due to French colonial influence.

Wallisian was first documented by French missionaries during the early 19th century, although their work wasn't published until 1932. A Wallisian translation of a prayer book was published in 1864, and parts of the Bible in Wallisian were published in 1885.

Uvea (the Wallisian name for Wallis) was settled about 3,000 years ago, making it one of the early Polynesian settlements in the region.

Learn more about the Wallisian culture in A Traveller's Guide to the Wallisian and Futunan Cultures.

Meanwhile, on Futuna, you'll discover that the local language, Fakafutuna (or Futunan) is a melodious tongue that belongs to about 3,000 speakers spread across the kingdoms of Sigave and Alo.

Like Wallisian, it belongs to the Austronesian language family, specifically within the Polynesian subgroup. It is closely related to other Western Polynesian languages like Wallisian, Samoan and Tongan.

What makes Futunan particularly intriguing is its resilience. Despite being part of a French territory, the language remained remarkably protected from European linguistic influence until around the Second World War.

Today, you'll find that locals use a mix of French and Futunan in their daily conversations.

The first thing to know about pronunciations in Wallisian and Futunan is that both languages use relatively simple alphabets with clear pronunciation patterns. These Polynesian languages have distinct phonological systems that differ from English in several key ways.

How to Pronounce Consonants in Wallisian and Futunan

Both Wallisian and Futunan share similar consonant systems, though there are some differences:

• F - pronounced as in English "fish"
• G - represents the nasal velar consonant [ŋ] in Futunan orthography (like "ng" in English "sing")
• K - pronounced as in English "king"
• L - pronounced as in English "love"
• M - pronounced as in English "mother"
• N - pronounced as in English "never"
• P - pronounced as in English "people"
• S - pronounced as in English "sun"
• T - pronounced as in English "table"
• V - pronounced as in English "village"
• ʻ (fakamoga) - represents the glottal stop, similar to the break in "uh-oh"

How to Pronounce Vowels in Wallisian and Futunan

Wallisian has 10 vowels: five standard vowels and their lengthened variants. Futunan has five vowels that can be short or long:

• A/Ā - short "a" as in "father"; long "ā" held for twice the duration
• E/Ē - short "e" as in "bed"; long "ē" held for twice the duration
• I/Ī - short "i" as in "machine"; long "ī" held for twice the duration
• O/Ō - short "o" as in "for"; long "ō" held for twice the duration
• U/Ū - short "u" as in "food"; long "ū" held for twice the duration

Long vowels are marked with a macron (the line above the vowel) but aren't always written in casual text.

Word Stress in Wallisian and Futunan

Both languages follow typical Polynesian stress patterns, generally placing stress on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable of words. For example:

• tagata (man) is pronounced "ta-GA-ta" in Wallisian
• fakamoga (glottal stop) is pronounced "fa-ka-MO-ga" in Wallisian

Special Pronunciation Notes

There are several unique aspects to Wallisian and Futunan pronunciation:

The fakamoga (ʻ) can be written with different apostrophe styles but represents the same glottal stop sound.

In Futunan, the letter "g" represents the [ŋ] sound, unlike other Polynesian languages where it's written as "ng" (for example, Tongan tangata versus Futunan tagata).

Vowel length is phonologically important - changing a short vowel to a long one can change the meaning of a word entirely.

In Wallis and Futuna, the general population relies primarily on their native tongues and French.

Do You Need to Speak French to Visit Wallis and Futuna?

The reality is, only a minority of people can speak English fluently in Wallis and Futuna. Efforts to speak the local languages, whether it's French, Wallisian or Futunan, will certainly make life easier for visitors.

If you're an English speaker and booking a tour, on Book.WallisandFutunaPocketGuide.com for example, it is important that you let your hosts know you speak English and they can usually arrange the appropriate guide for you.

That being said, you'll find that tourist information is available in both French and English. From tourist maps and passenger arrival cards to safety briefings on domestic flights, staff will typically ask if you'd prefer the English version.

With all of the above in mind, here are some words and phrases to try out…

Basic Phrases in Wallisian and Futunan

Places

Food and Drink

Miscallaneous

Now that you know the important words, check out how to say some iconic Wallis and Futuna meals in Traditional Wallis and Futuna Food: Local Dishes to Try.

Now that you know about the languages spoken in Wallis and Futuna, here are the answers to the internet's frequently asked questions about Wallis and Futuna's languages!

What languages are spoken in Wallis and Futuna?

The main languages spoken in Wallis & Futuna are French (the official language), Wallisian and Futunan.

Is French widely spoken in Wallis and Futuna?

Yes, French is the official language and is widely understood throughout Wallis and Futuna, particularly in government offices and schools. Most locals are bilingual, speaking both French and their native language.

What is the difference between Wallisian and Futunan languages?

Wallisian (also called Uvean) is spoken on Wallis Island, whilst Futunan is spoken on the Futuna Islands. Both are Polynesian languages but have distinct vocabularies and grammatical differences, reflecting the separate cultural identities of the two island groups.

Can you get by speaking only English in Wallis and Futuna?

English is not widely spoken in Wallis and Futuna, so you'll need some basic French phrases to communicate effectively.

Are the local languages related to other Polynesian languages?

Yes, both Wallisian and Futunan belong to the Polynesian language family and share similarities with other Pacific languages like Samoan and Tongan. Speakers of these related languages may recognise some words and phrases.