Mwesen language
| Mwesen | |
|---|---|
| Mosina | |
| M̄ēsēn | |
| Pronunciation | [ŋ͡mʷɪˈsɪn] |
| Native to | Vanuatu |
| Region | Vanua Lava |
Native speakers | 10 (2012) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | msn (shared with Vurës) |
| Glottolog | vure1239 Vurës |
| ELP | Mwesen |
Mwesen is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Mwesen (formerly known by its Mota name Mosina) is an Oceanic language spoken in the southeastern area of Vanua Lava Island, in the Banks Islands of northern Vanuatu, by about 10 speakers.
Mwesen shows many similarities with the island's dominant language Vurës, to such an extent that they have sometimes been considered dialects of a single language. However, studies have shown that Mwesen and Vurës have various dissimilarities, e.g. in their vowel systems, in their noun articles, in their pronoun paradigms.