File:Norfuk_language_by_SA1.svg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Norfuk
Sign in to saveAlso known as Norfolk, Norf'k, Norfolk Island Creole, Norfolkese, Norfolk English
dialect of Pitcairn-Norfolk
Key facts
- Pronunciation
- [ nɔːfuk ]
- Region
- Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island
- Native speakers
- 2,000 (2002–2017) , 6 on Lord Howe Island
- Language family
- English–Tahitian creole Pitkern –Norfuk Norfolk
- Writing system
- Latin ( Norfolk/Pitcairnese alphabet )
- Official language in
- Norfolk Island
- Iso 639 3
- pih Pitcairn-Norfolk
- Glottolog
- pitc1234 Pitcairn-Norfolk
- Linguasphere
- 52-ABB-dd
- Ietf
- pih-NF
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
Show 3 more facts
- number of speakers, writers, or signers
- 400
- native label
- Norf’k
- exact match
- apics-online.info/contributions/24
via Wikidata · CC0
~8 min read
Article
Norfuk (Pitcairn-Norfolk: Norfuk) (increasingly spelt Norfolk) or Norf'k is the language spoken on Norfolk Island (in the Pacific Ocean) by the local residents. It is a blend of 18th-century English and Tahitian, originally introduced by Pitkern-speaking settlers from the Pitcairn Islands. Along with English, it is the co-official language of Norfolk Island.
Norfuk has always been a linguistic cant. As travel to and from Norfolk Island becomes more common, Norfuk is falling into disuse. However, efforts are being made in recent years to restore the language to more common usage, such as the education of children, the publication of English–Norfuk dictionaries, the use of the language in signage, and the renaming of some tourist attractions – most notably the rainforest walk "A Trip Ina Stik" – to their Norfuk equivalents. In 2007, the United Nations added Norfuk to its list of endangered languages.