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38-519: Fijians ( Fijian : iTaukei , lit.   'Owners [of the land]') are a nation and ethnic group native to Fiji , who speak Fijian and English and share a common history and culture. Fijians, or iTaukei , are the major indigenous people of the Fiji Islands of Melanesia . Indigenous Fijians are believed to have arrived in Fiji from western Melanesia approximately 3,500 years ago and are

76-604: A few consonant clusters to the alphabet. These newcomers were necessary to handle words entering Standard Fijian from not only English, but from other Fijian languages or dialects as well. These are the most important additions: ⟨z⟩ [ ⁿdʒ ] , as in ⟨ziza⟩ ' ginger ' and ⟨h⟩ [ h ] , as in ⟨haya⟩ ' hire ' . For phonological reasons ⟨ti⟩ and ⟨di⟩ are pronounced [tʃi] , [ⁿdʒi] rather than [ti] , [ⁿdi] (cf. Japanese chi kana , or in standard Brazilian Portuguese ). Hence,

114-567: A fully independent nation with constitutional arrangements to ensure that traditional Fijian interests were preserved. His Royal Highness Prince of Wales , Prince Charles , presented the Instruments of Independence to Prime Minister Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara on 10 October 1970 at a massive gathering at Albert Park in Suva. In 1972, the first general elections were held using the 1970 constitution . In 1987, two military coups were staged. The first coup

152-556: A government led by an Indo-Fijian , Mahendra Choudhary, but a violent coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political and racial turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government led by Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase . Re-elected in May 2006 , Qarase was ousted in a military coup on 5 December that year, led by the Commander of

190-530: A position echoed by Krishna Vilas of the National Reconciliation Committee. Since 2013, when a new constitution was adopted, Fijian is established as an official language of Fiji alongside Fiji Hindi and English. The consonant phonemes of Fijian are as shown in the following table: The consonant written ⟨dr⟩ has been described as a prenasalized trill [ ⁿr ] or trilled affricate [ ⁿdr ] . However, it

228-456: A writing system, and had published various books on the different dialects of the language. After the independence of Fiji in 1970, Fijian has been used in radio, television, books, and periodicals, and has been taught in schools. In May and June 2005, several prominent Fijians sought to promote the status of the Fijian language. Fiji had no official language before the 1997 Constitution , which made

266-537: Is not usually indicated in writing, except in dictionaries and textbooks for learners of the language, where it is indicated by a macron over the vowel in question; Dixon, in the work cited below, doubles all long vowels in his spelling system. Diphthongs are ⟨ai au ei eu oi ou iu⟩ , pronounced [ɛi̯ ɔu̯ ei̯ eu̯ oi̯ ou̯ i̯u] . In order to negate a phrase or clause in Fijian, certain verbs are used to create this distinction. These verbs of negation are known as semi-auxiliary verbs. Semi-auxiliary verbs fulfil

304-519: Is only rarely pronounced with a trilled release; the primary feature distinguishing it from ⟨d⟩ is that it is postalveolar , [ɳɖ] , rather than dental/alveolar. The sounds [ p ] and [ f ] occur only in loanwords from other languages. The sounds [ x ] and [ h ] only occur for speakers from certain regions of the country. The sounds [ tʃ ] and [ ⁿdʒ ] occur as allophones of / t / and / ⁿd / . The glottal stop / ʔ / occurs in

342-442: Is part of daily life, both in villages and in urban areas and across all classes and walks of life. 'Having a grog' or 'drinking grog', as drinking kava is sometimes known, is used for welcoming and bonding with visitors, for storytelling sessions or merely for passing time. The Tabua is a much revered whale's tooth which is used in both public and private occasions or ceremonies. The tooth is considered sacred. About 86 percent of

380-403: Is the rising diphthong / i̯u / . Syllables can consist of a consonant followed by a vowel (CV) or a single vowel (V). Word stress is based on moras : a short vowel is one mora, diphthongs and long vowels are two morae. Primary stress is on the penultimate mora of the phonological word. That is, if the last syllable of a word is short, then the penultimate syllable will be stressed, while if

418-560: The Assemblies of God (5.7%) and the Seventh-day Adventists (3.9%). 10.4% belong to other churches from a large number of denominations. Only about 0.8% report as following non-Christian religions or no religion. Approximately 70% of indigenous Fijians are farmers, many of which are sustenance farmers . They commonly grow such crops as sugar cane , cassava , rice, sweet potatoes , and bananas. Historically, Fijians were known as

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456-625: The Minister of Fijian Affairs . The Minister of Fijian Affairs consulted with the President as part of the selection process. Former Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka was given a lifetime appointment on the council. The native Fijian language belongs to the Central Pacific (Fijian – Polynesian) branch of the Austronesian family. The Fijian traditions are centred around ceremonies and events, that bond

494-583: The University of the South Pacific in Suva. They have stated that recognition of the Fijian language is essential for the basic identity of the nation and acts as a unifying factor for the multicultural society of Fiji. Mahendra Chaudhry , the leader of the Fiji Labour Party , also supported the cause to make Fijian a national language and a compulsory subject in schools with the same status as Fiji Hindi,

532-457: The canoe building experts of the Pacific, using them to trade with Tonga . They were usually large double-hulled canoes, called a Drua (pronounced nDroo-ah), with each side being similar except one was shorter and served as a type of outrigger . These were united by beams, with a platform on it that extended beyond the sides. The Lapita people, named after their distinctive pottery style, were

570-483: The Boumaa Fijian used to illustrate this article, but is not found in the standard language. It descends from an earlier / k / sound in most Fijian dialects. Note the difference in place of articulation between the voiced-voiceless fricative pairs: bilabial [ β ] vs. labiodental [ f ] , and dental [ ð ] vs. alveolar [ s ] . The vowel phonemes are: In addition, there

608-568: The English name of indigenous Fijians from "Fijians" to itaukei . The indigenous word for Fijian is "Kaiviti" Deposed Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase reacted by stating that the name "Fijian" belonged exclusively to indigenous Fijians, and that he would oppose any change in legislation enabling non-indigenous Fijians to use it. The Cabinet at its meeting on 30 June 2010 approved the Fijian Affairs [Amendment] Decree 2010. The new law effectively replaces

646-527: The Fijian language co-official with English and Fiji Hindi ; however, it was not required to be taught in schools. The minister of education, Ro Teimumu Kepa , has also supported appeals to Chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs Ratu Ovini Bokini . Similar appeals have been made by Misiwini Qereqeretabua , Director of the Institute of Language and Culture, and by Apolonia Tamata , a linguistics professor at

684-439: The Fijian name for Fiji, ⟨Viti⟩ , from an allophonic pronunciation of [βitʃi] as [ɸidʒi] . In addition, the digraph ⟨dr⟩ stands for retroflex [ ᶯɖ ] , or a prenasalized trill [ r] in careful pronunciation, or more commonly for some people and in some dialects. The vowel letters ⟨a e i o u⟩ have roughly their IPA values, [a ɛ~e i ɔ~o u] . The vowel length contrast

722-708: The Fijians in the Lau Islands (Eastern Fiji) became vassals to the King of Tonga. One particular reason Tongans and Samoans came to Fiji was to build the Drua (large double-hulled canoes) which they could not build on their own islands because of the lack of proper timber. From the early 19th century, both European and Chinese traders (dishsant visited Fiji for its sandalwood, hardwoods, beche-de-mer, marine life and, more recently, gold). The British ruled Fiji from 1874 to 1970. In 1970, Fiji became

760-552: The Republic of Fiji Military Forces(RFMF), Commodore Voreqe (Frank) Bainimarama , who initially appointed himself acting president, but in January 2007 assumed the position of interim Prime Minister, promising a return to democracy in the near future. This did not eventuate, however; elections were not held until 2014 . The Fijian traditions and ceremonies are based and share commonalities throughout time. In August 2008, shortly before

798-435: The community. Yaqona (pronounced Yang-gohna), otherwise known as kava – another important traditional custom – is an infusion prepared from the root of Piper methysticum , a type of pepper plant. The plant itself is also often referred to as yaqona or the kava plant. Yaqona is extremely important in indigenous Fijian culture – in the time of the 'old religion' it was used ceremonially by chiefs and priests only. Today, yaqona

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836-542: The descendants of the Lapita people. Later they would move onward to other surrounding islands, including Rotuma , as well as settling in other nearby islands such as Tonga and Samoa . They are indigenous to all parts of Fiji except the island of Rotuma . The original settlers are now called " Lapita people" after a distinctive pottery produced locally. Lapita pottery was found in the area from 800 BCE onward. As of 2005, indigenous Fijians constituted slightly more than half of

874-441: The exception of the imperative or in a me (classifier) clauses. When sega takes a NP as its subject, the meaning "there are no-" is assumed: e 3SG sega not a ART kolii dog (i+na in+ ART koro village yai) this e sega a kolii (i+na koro yai) 3SG not ART dog in+ART village this "there are no dogs (in this village)" Predicate clauses can also be negated in Fijian with

912-612: The fifth largest Pacific ethnic group living in New Zealand; a decrease of 8 percent between 1996 and 2001. In 2001, the estimated Pacific Islander population size is 231,800 Fijians comprising about 7,000 of that (Online numbers and side table disagree). Outside Oceania , a notable Fijian diaspora is found in other Anglophone countries, namely Canada , United States and the United Kingdom . The Bose Levu Vakaturaga ( Great Council of Chiefs ) once passed laws and regulations governing

950-590: The first people to inhabit Fiji in about 3000 BCE, and evidence of their settlements exist throughout Fiji – particularly around the Sigatoka Sand Dunes. They were followed by the Melanesians in about 500 BCE, and trading with Tongans and Samoans since Fiji was founded, has added to the cultural mix. In the Later years, there was active commerce between Tonga and Fiji, and later in the history of this relationship,

988-409: The functions of main verbs (in terms of syntactic form and pattern) and have a NP or complement clause as their subject (complements clauses within negation are introduced by relators ni (which refers to an event, which is generally a non-specific unit) or me (which refers is translated as "should", referring to the event within the complement clause should occur)). Within a complement clause,

1026-464: The indigenous Fijian people. Until its disbanding by the Military of Fiji following the 2006 coup , the Great Council of Chiefs met yearly to discuss native Fijian concerns. The council, which was formerly responsible for appointing Fiji's president, was composed of 55 Fijian chiefs selected from the 14 provinces. Included in the council were three appointees from the island of Rotuma and six appointed by

1064-474: The islands, while Pidgin Hindustani is used by many rural ethnic Fijians and Chinese in areas dominated by Indo-Fijians. The Fijian language was introduced to Fiji c. 3500 years ago by the islands' first settlers. For millennia, it was the only spoken language in Fiji. In 1835, Methodist missionaries from Australia worked in Fiji to develop a written form of the language. By 1840, they had already developed

1102-487: The land in Fiji is owned by indigenous Fijian people. In 1876, Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon , the British colonial Governor , prohibited the sale of Fijian land to non-ethnic Fijians. This policy continues today, and in 2014 the sale of freehold land to foreigners was further restricted. The Governor also banned the employment of native Fijians as labourers, and in 1878, began importing indentured labourers from India to work in

1140-478: The last syllable contains either a long vowel or a diphthong, then it receives primary stress. Stress is not lexical and can shift when suffixes are attached to the root . Examples: The Fijian alphabet is based on the Latin script and consists of the following letters. There is almost a one-to-one correspondence between letters and phonemes. In the 1980s, scholars compiling a dictionary added several more consonants and

1178-470: The proposed People's Charter for Change, Peace and Progress was due to be released to the public, it was announced that it recommended a change in the name of Fiji's citizens. If the proposal were adopted, all citizens of Fiji, whatever their ethnicity, would be called "Fijians". At present, the word "Fijian" does not denote a nationality, and refers exclusively to indigenous Fijians. Citizens of Fiji are referred to as "Fiji Islanders". The proposal would change

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1216-433: The semi-auxiliary verb sega . This can only be completed when the predicate is placed into a complement clause. The subject of sega must also be ni , which introduces the complement clause. It is then translated as "it is not the case that (predicate clause)". An example of this construction is shown here: e 3SG sega not [ni that lako go o ART Governor of Fiji Fiji

1254-405: The semi-auxiliary verb qualifies the predicate. One semi-auxiliary verb used to express negation in Fijian is sega . This semi-auxiliary can be translated as either "there are no-" or "it is not the case that", depending on the subject it relates to. In terms of numerical expression, sega is also used to express the quantity "none". This negator can be used in almost all situations, with

1292-548: The sugarcane fields. The effects of this immigration created an ethnic polarisation and rampant Anti-Indian sentiment , which has proven to be politically challenging to Fijian race relations. Indigenous Fijians overwhelmingly report as being Christian , with the Methodist Church of Fiji and Rotuma claiming the loyalty of 64.5% (2007 census). Other significant denominations include the Roman Catholic Church (9.1%),

1330-514: The total population of Fiji . Indigenous Fijians are predominantly of Melanesian extraction, with some Polynesian admixture. Australia has the largest Fijian expatriate population, according to the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs. According to the Australian census, the largest ethnic backgrounds that Fijians identified with were Indian/Indo-Fijian and Indigenous Fijian origins. Fijians were also

1368-461: The word 'Fijian' or 'indigenous' or 'indigenous Fijian' with the word 'iTaukei' in all written laws, and all official documentation when referring to the original and native settlers of Fiji. All Fiji citizens are now called 'Fijians'. Fijian language Standard Fijian is based on the Bau dialect, which is an East Fijian language . A pidginized form is used by many Indo-Fijians and Chinese on

1406-588: Was a British Crown colony from 1874 to 1970, and an independent dominion in the Commonwealth from 1970 to 1987. During this period, the head of state was the British monarch , but in practice his or her functions were normally exercised locally by the governor prior to independence (on 10 October 1970), and by the governor-general prior to the proclamation of a republic on 7 October 1987. From 1877 to 3 July 1952, governors of Fiji were also high commissioners for

1444-472: Was bloodless, and the second coup severed ties with the British Monarchy . A controversial and racially divisive new constitution was adopted in 1990 , and in 1992 the first general election was held under the auspices of the new constitution. The constitution was revised again in 1997 and was deemed to be more equitable by the many racial groups in Fiji. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in

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