Merelava
Native name: N̄wërlap Nickname: Mwerlap | |
|---|---|
 Location of Merelava in the Banks Islands | |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 14°27′S168°03′E/ 14.45°S 168.05°E |
| Archipelago | Vanuatu,Banks Islands |
| Area | 18 km2(6.9 sq mi) |
| Highest point | Mount Teu |
| Administration | |
Vanuatu | |
| Province | Torba Province |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 650 (2009) |
Merelava(orMere Lava) is an island in theBanks Islandsof theTorba Provinceof northernVanuatu.
Names
[edit]The inhabitants of Merelava call their own islandMwerlap,more accuratelyN̄wërlap[ŋʷɞrˈlap].
The nameMerelavaorM̄ere Lavareflects the way it is called in the neighboringMotalanguage ‒ phonetically[ŋ͡mʷerelaβa].According toCodrington,[1]the etymology of this name (inProto-Torres-Banks) is likely to be *mʷera-i laβa>*mʷerelaβa,literally “the big boy”; it contrasts withthe neighboring island M̄erig[ŋ͡mʷeriɣ],from *mʷera riɣi“the small boy”. These words refer metaphorically to the islands themselves.
Cognates in other Torres-Banks languages includeMwotlapM̄eylap[ŋ͡mʷɛjˈlap].
Geography
[edit]Merelava is situated in the southeastern part of the archipelago nearMotaandMerig.Merelava has also been known asStar Island.It is located about 50 kilometres (31 miles) east ofGaua.
Merelava is a nearly round volcanic island with a diameter of almost 4.5 km and an area of 18 km2.It is formed by a basaltic stratovolcano, which reaches in Mount Teu, also called Star Peak, a height of 883 m above the sea level.
The main village isTesmeton the west coast of the island. Other villages, starting clockwise at Tesmet, are Levetmise (northwest), Lekweal (north), Lewetneak (northeast), and Aot (southeast, second largest).
History
[edit]Merelava was first sighted by Europeans during the Spanish expedition ofPedro Fernández de Quirós,from 25 to 29 April 1606. The island's name was then charted asSan Marcos.[2]
Merelava was reportedly seen smoking when it was first encountered by Quirós.[3]
Population and language
[edit]The island has about 650 inhabitants.[4]They all speak anOceaniclanguage known asMwerlap.[5]
References
[edit]- ^Cf.Codrington & Palmer (1896),p.89.
- ^Kelly, Celsus, O.F.M.La Austrialia del Espíritu Santo. The Journal of Fray Martín de Munilla O.F.M. and other documents relating to the Voyage of Pedro Fernández de Quirós to the South Sea (1605-1606) and the Franciscan Missionary Plan (1617-1627)Cambridge, 1966, p.39, 62.
- ^"Global Volcanism Program | Mere Lava".Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program.Retrieved2022-10-28.
- ^
"2009 National Census of Population and Housing: Summary Release"(PDF).Vanuatu National Statistics Office. 2009.RetrievedOctober 11,2010.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^François (2005:444)
Bibliography
[edit]- Codrington, Robert H.; Palmer, Jim (1896),A Dictionary of the Language of Mota, Sugarloaf Island, Banks' Islands, with a short grammar and index,London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
- François, Alexandre (2005),"Unraveling the history of vowels in seventeen north Vanuatu languages"(PDF),Oceanic Linguistics,44(2): 443–504,doi:10.1353/ol.2005.0034,S2CID131668754
External links
[edit]
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
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