Tangoa, or ''Leon Tatagoa'', is an

Oceanic language The approximately 450 Oceanic languages are a branch of the Austronesian languages. The area occupied by speakers of these languages includes Polynesia, as well as much of Melanesia and Micronesia. Though covering a vast area, Oceanic languages ...

spoken on

Tangoa Island Tangoa is an island in Vanuatu, located off the southern coast of Vanuatu's largest island Espiritu Santo in Sanma Province. The local inhabitants speak the Tangoa language Tangoa, or ''Leon Tatagoa'', is an Oceanic language spoken on Tangoa ...

, south of

Espiritu Santo Espiritu Santo (, ; ) is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of and a population of around 40,000 according to the 2009 census. Geography The island belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region o ...

Island in

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

. The community was an early settlement for Christian missionaries, leading to its use as a lingua franca in the area, having largely displaced the moribund

Araki language Araki is a nearly extinct language spoken in the small island of Araki (locally known as ), south of Espiritu Santo Island in Vanuatu. Araki is gradually being replaced by Tangoa, a language from a neighbouring island. Current situation Araki ...

spoken on

Araki Island Araki Island is a small rocky island with an area of 2.5 km², located 3 miles off the southern shores of Espiritu Santo, which is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu. It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific ...

Characteristics

Tangoa is one of the few languages of Vanuatu, and indeed of the world, possessing a set of

linguolabial consonant Linguolabials or apicolabials are consonants articulated by placing the tongue tip or blade against the upper lip, which is drawn downward to meet the tongue. They represent one extreme of a coronal articulatory continuum which extends from ling ...

References

Espiritu Santo languages Languages of Vanuatu {{SOceanic-lang-stub