1. About Drehu
Drehu (qene drehu, also called Dehu or Lifou) is a Kanak language of the Austronesian family, spoken mainly on Lifou in the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia. With around 12,000–13,000 speakers it is the most widely spoken Kanak language, and it holds the status of a French regional language — it can be taken for the baccalauréat and is taught at INALCO in Paris and at the University of New Caledonia. The language is regulated by the Académie des Langues Kanak (ALK).1
This is a community-stewarded Indigenous language. The guide below is a small, carefully-sourced introduction; it follows the modern Latin orthography and the Académie des Langues Kanak, marks uncertain points, and should be reviewed by Drehu speakers / the ALK before publication. Some areas (everyday greetings, fuller grammar) are intentionally left for that review rather than guessed.
Key features to know from day one
- The verb comes first. Drehu is verb-initial, like its Oceanic relatives.2
- A rich sound system. Drehu has many vowels (seven qualities, each short or long) and unusual consonants, including voiceless nasals written hm, hn, hng, hny, and the interdental th /θ/ and j /ð/.1
- Pronouns carry a lot of information: singular, dual ('we/you/they two') and plural, an inclusive vs exclusive 'we', and special respectful forms for addressing a chief (joxu).2
- Counting is quinary (base-five): 5 is tripi, 6–9 are built with -ngömen ('on the next hand'), and 10 is luepi (literally two-fives).3
- A respectful register, qene miny, was once used to speak to chiefs; few speakers use it today, and it is treated with care.1
2. The alphabet
Drehu was first written by London Missionary Society missionaries in the 1840s; the modern spelling dates from the 1970s. A few letters and digraphs are worth knowing.1
| Letter / digraph | Sound | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ë | /ɛ/ (open 'e') | a distinct vowel letter |
| ö | /ʌ/ (central vowel) | a distinct vowel letter |
| aa, ee, ii, oo, uu | long vowels | doubling marks length |
| dr, tr | retroflex d / t | distinct from plain d, t |
| th / j | interdental /θ/ and /ð/ | as in English 'thin' / 'this' |
| hm, hn, hng, hny | voiceless nasals | a breathy m/n/ng/ny |
In this guide's exercises, answers typed with plain ASCII vowels (e for ë, o for ö) are accepted, but the proper spelling uses the special letters.
3. First words, pronouns & numbers
We start with the best-attested items: the word oleti ('thank you', a Drehu word now known well beyond Lifou), the personal pronouns, and the numbers.123
Personal pronouns (a selection)
| Drehu | Meaning |
|---|---|
| eni (ni) | I, me |
| eö (ö) | you (singular) |
| angeic(e) | he / she / him |
| eaho (ho) | we two (exclusive) |
| easho (sho) | we two (inclusive) |
| eahun(i) | we / us (exclusive) |
| eashë (shë) | we all (inclusive) |
| epun(i) | you (plural) |
| angaatr(e) | they / them (people) |
Numbers 1–10 (quinary)
| Value | Drehu | Value | Drehu |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | caa | 6 | cangömen |
| 2 | lue | 7 | luengömen |
| 3 | köni | 8 | köningömen |
| 4 | eke | 9 | ekengömen |
| 5 | tripi | 10 | luepi |
Practice: thank you, pronouns & numbers 1–5
Practice: The best-attested Drehu basics: oleti ('thank you'), the core pronouns, and numbers 1–5. Proper spelling uses ë/ö and special letters; ASCII spellings (e/o) are also accepted.. Type the missing word — accents are optional.
- 1.thank you (a famous Drehu word):
Hint: the Drehu word for gratitude, known across New Caledonia
- 2.I / me:
Hint: the first-person singular pronoun
- 3.you (singular):
Hint: the second-person singular pronoun
- 4.he / she:
Hint: the third-person singular pronoun
- 5.the number 'one':
Hint: the first counting number
- 6.the number 'two':
Hint: the number after caa
- 7.the number 'three':
Hint: the number after lue
- 8.the number 'four':
Hint: the number after köni
- 9.the number 'five' (the base of the counting system):
Hint: the pivot of the quinary system; 6–9 are built on it
- 10.the word for 'language' (as in qene drehu):
Hint: literally 'mouth-of'; qe = mouth, ne = of
10 questions
Grammar reference: Pronouns per the Drehu grammar tradition (Moyse-Faurie 1983; Tryon 1968) and 'Drehu language'; numerals per Omniglot 'Drehu numbers'. All prompts original to LinguaCommons. CEFR A1. Confidence: High for pronouns/numerals; Medium for exact spellings. Requires ALK / community review.. Sentences are original to LinguaCommons.
4. The quinary numbers & inclusive/exclusive 'we'
How 6–10 are built
Drehu counts in fives. After tripi (5), the numbers 6–9 add -ngömen, literally 'on the next hand': cangömen (6), luengömen (7), köningömen (8), ekengömen (9). Ten is luepi ('two fives'). Higher numbers continue this hand-and-person logic.3
Two kinds of 'we'
Like many Oceanic languages, Drehu distinguishes an inclusive 'we' (including the person you are talking to) from an exclusive 'we' (not including them), and marks dual ('we two') separately from plural. There are also respectful pronouns reserved for addressing a chief (joxu).2
Practice: numbers 6–10 & pronouns
Practice: The quinary numbers 6–10 (note the -ngömen pattern and luepi '10') and more pronouns, including the inclusive/exclusive 'we' and a chiefly-respect form. ASCII spellings (e/o for ë/ö) accepted.. Type the missing word — accents are optional.
- 1.the number 'six':
Hint: 5 + the 'next-hand' ending, built on caa
- 2.the number 'seven':
Hint: built on lue (2) + the 'next-hand' ending
- 3.the number 'eight':
Hint: built on köni (3) + the 'next-hand' ending
- 4.the number 'nine':
Hint: built on eke (4) + the 'next-hand' ending
- 5.the number 'ten' (lit. 'two fives'):
Hint: lue (2) + the five-base; '10'
- 6.we two (exclusive — not you):
Hint: the dual exclusive pronoun
- 7.we all (inclusive — including you):
Hint: the plural inclusive pronoun
- 8.you (plural):
Hint: the second-person plural pronoun
- 9.they / them (people):
Hint: the third-person plural pronoun for people
- 10.the respectful 'you' used to address a chief (joxu):
Hint: the polite second-person form reserved for a chief or older man
10 questions
Grammar reference: Numerals per Omniglot 'Drehu numbers'; pronouns per Moyse-Faurie (1983) / Tryon (1968) and 'Drehu language'. All prompts original to LinguaCommons. CEFR A2. Confidence: High for numerals/pronouns; Medium for exact spellings. Requires ALK / community review.. Sentences are original to LinguaCommons.
5. Beyond the basics
🚧 In development (source-limited). Verb-initial clause structure, the tense/aspect markers, and the classifier system will be added here from Moyse-Faurie (1983) and ALK materials, with community review. Not yet complete.
🚧 In development (source-limited). Everyday vocabulary and greetings will be added from the Lenormand dictionary and ALK resources after community review, rather than guessed here.
🚧 In development (source-limited). The chiefly register qene miny and stylistic variation will be treated with community guidance. Not yet complete.
🚧 In development (source-limited). Oratory, custom (la coutume) and cultural concepts — to be developed only with community-authored sources. Not yet complete.
🚧 In development (source-limited). Near-native comprehension and a media plan (ALK resources, NC La 1ère Drehu broadcasts). Not yet complete.
- Académie des Langues Kanak — Drehu — the community language authority (lead source for review)
- Drehu language — overview — status, phonology, orthography, pronouns
- Drehu numbers (Omniglot) — the quinary numeral system