Nauruan is the indigenous language that is official in Nauru alongside English.
Nauruan is an Austronesian language native to the island country of Nauru. More specifically, it belongs to the Micronesian branch of the Oceanic language family. Its distinct development reflects Nauru’s long geographic isolation in the central Pacific.
Nauruan is widely used within Nauruan communities, while English is especially important in government, legislation, education and commerce. English became influential through Nauru’s colonial and administrative history, including periods of German, Australian, British and New Zealand involvement.
The language has had several dialects, but contact among communities and the production of written materials helped promote a more standardized form. A common mistake is to choose Marshallese or Tuvaluan because they are also Pacific languages; neither is Nauru’s indigenous national language. Nauruan is also commonly called Nauru in linguistic references.