Fwâi (Poai) is a Kanak language of New Caledonia, spoken in the commune of Hienghène. In 2009, there were around 1,900 speakers of Fwâi. It’s considered a vulnerable language by the UNESCO Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger.

Phonology

Consonants +ConsonantsBilabialLabio-dentalAlveolarPalatalVelarGlottalplainlab.plainlab.Stopvoiceless()()()()()aspirated()()prenasalFricativevoiceless()()voicedNasalvoicelessvoicedApproximantvoicelessvoicedRhoticvoicelessvoiced

Consonant sounds in parentheses occur either rarely, or from loanwords.

Vowels +VowelsFrontCentralBackHigh Mid Low

References

Bibliography