| Nafsan | |
|---|---|
| South Efate | |
| Fate, Erakor | |
| Native to | Northeast Vanuatu |
| Region | Efate Island |
Native speakers | 6,000 (2001)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | erk |
| Glottolog | sout2856 |
 Nafsan is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
The Nafsan language, also known as South Efate or Erakor, is a Southern Oceanic language spoken on the island of Efate in central Vanuatu. As of 2005[update], there are approximately 6,000 speakers who live in coastal villages from Pango to Eton. The language's grammar has been studied by Nick Thieberger, who has produced a book of stories and a dictionary of the language.[2]
Nafsan is closely related to Nguna and to Lelepa. Based on shared features with southern Vanuatu languages (including echo–subject marking, and the free and preposed 1st-singular-possessive morphemes), Lynch (2001) suggests it could form part of a southern Vanuatu subgroup that includes New Caledonia instead of the neighboring Efate languages.
- ^ Nafsan at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ South Efate — English dictionary