Borrowed moieties, borrowed names : sociolinguistic contact between Tanna and Futuna-Aniwa, Vanuatu

Examines the moiety system, or system of dual organisation on the Vanuatu islands. Observes that in Futuna-Aniwa there is no tradition of a period prior to the moiety system, while Tanna societies have a tradition that speaks of a period when there was no division within the society. Notes the existence in Futuna-Aniwa of associated stone images Sura and Fatu, and of a third group which mediates between the moieties. Attempts to explain, from a linguistic viewpoint, how the Futuna-Aniwa names for the moieties (Numrukwen or Numrukuen and Koiameta or Kaviameta) are borrowed from the language of Tanna, when Tanna has borrowed the moiety system from Futuna-Aniwa. Source: National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, licensed by the Department of Internal Affairs for re-use under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand Licence.