Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language, Solomon Islands

One of the earliest systematic studies of an Oceanic language spoken in one of the most unusual settlements in the Pacific. The Lau people inhabit artificial islets built atop coral reefs off the coast of Big Malaita in the Solomon Islands, and in 1921 W.G. Ivens undertook the meticulous work of recording their grammar and vocabulary before the language changed under increasing contact with the outside world. This volume documents not only the structure of Lau itself but also its relationship to neighboring tongues like Sa'a and Fiu, revealing the complex linguistic web of the region. Ivens drew on direct engagement with Lau speakers, offering a rare window into both the mechanics of the language and the cultural identity it embodies. For anyone interested in Pacific linguistics, vanishing indigenous languages, or the history of anthropological fieldwork, this remains a foundational text.