Talk:Languages of Fiji

A Fijian and English and an English and Fijian dictionary, with examples of common and peculiar modes of expression and uses of words, also, containing brief hints on native customs, proverbs, the native names of natural productions, and notices of the Is

A Fijian and English and an English and Fijian dictionary, with examples of common and peculiar modes of expression and uses of words, also, containing brief hints on native customs, proverbs, the native names of natural productions, and notices of the Islands of Fiji, and a grammar of the language, with examples of native idioms (1890)

https://archive.org/details/fijianenglishand00hazl

Rajmaan (talk) 15:08, 9 March 2014 (UTC)

STOP PUTTING FIJI HINDI, ITS HINDI

Stop putting fiji hindi, its standard hindi 1. Constitutional Recognition Fiji’s supreme law explicitly names Hindustani—understood as standard Hindi—alongside English and Fijian as the country’s three official languages. Translations of the Constitution are made available in iTaukei and Hindi (Devanagari script), and citizens may conduct legal and parliamentary business in any of these three languages, with the English text prevailing only where there is doubt. There is no mention of the colloquial Fiji Hindi dialect in the constitutional text.

2. Government Publication & Usage The Fijian Government routinely publishes core documents (including the Constitution itself) and public health updates in standard Hindi (Devanagari). The official government portal provides the Constitution in a Hindi translation for legal reference—demonstrating that the state engages with the formal register of Hindi in all its institutions.

3. Education & Curriculum Policy Formal education in Fiji treats standard Hindi as the formal medium for teacher training and secondary instruction. Fiji National University’s Bachelor of Education (Secondary) program, for example, requires entrants to demonstrate proficiency in English and Hindi (Devanagari)—underscoring that the “Hindi” of instruction is the standardized form taught internationally, not the localized dialect.

4. Linguistic Scholarship & Distinction Academic research makes clear that the Constitution’s term “Hindustani” refers to the formal Hindi-Urdu register originating from the Indian subcontinent. Fiji Hindi is a distinct koiné dialect that developed locally among indentured labourers; it enjoys widespread everyday use but lacks any constitutional or legal standing.

5. Equal Citizen Rights Under Chapter 1, Section 3(3–4) of the Constitution, citizens have the right to use iTaukei, English, or Hindi (Hindustani) in all government and judicial proceedings. This provision places standard Hindi on an equal footing with Fiji’s other official languages—affirming its formal status in the state apparatus.

Sources - Constitution of the Republic of Fiji (English) https://www.laws.gov.fj/ResourceFile/Get/?fileName=2013+Constitution+of+Fiji+%28English%29.pdf

Constitution of the Republic of Fiji Islands (Hindi Translation, Devanagari) https://www.paclii.org/fj/constitutional-docs-archives/Constitution%20of%20the%20Republic%20of%20Fiji%20Islands%20%28Hindi%29.pdf

Fiji National University: Bachelor of Education (Secondary) – English & Hindi https://programmes.fnu.ac.fj/programmes/Files/2019122313210Bachelor%20of%20Education%20%28Secondary%29%20%28English%20_and_%20Hindi%29%20.pdf

Kumar, R. (2018). Fiji Hindi in Fiji. Academia.edu https://www.academia.edu/36804807/Fiji_Hindi_in_Fiji

Shameem, N. (2017). “Fiji Hindi: A Heritage Language of Fiji Indians.” USP Repository https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/13951/1/16-FijiHindiAheritagelanguage%20copy.pdf

PacLII: Fiji Constitutional Documents Archive https://www.paclii.org/fj/constitutional-docs-archives/main.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by Theoneandonlylinguist09 (talk • contribs) 11:39, 15 June 2025 (UTC)

Also ths proves that standard hindi is used in education - https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1328357.pdf ". Fiji Hindi is most often the first language of the Indo-Fijians. However, Standard Hindi is formally recognised as the standard language" "Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji provided a unified approach to convince the Minister for Education to remove Fiji Hindi from the Hindi national examination papers." THIS PROVES FIJI HINDI IS NOT FIJIS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

AGAIN HERE - https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1328357 Results showed that Fiji Hindi is preferred in social settings … and Standard Hindi is preferred in formal settings

Indo‑Fijians speak Fiji Hindi… learn Shudh Hindi (SH) or Urdu… for formal and literacy purposes https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738059306000332 Study: Multilingual Proficiency in Fiji Primary Schools

Highlights:

“Indo‑Fijians speak Fiji Hindi as their mother tongue… learn Shudh Hindi/Urdu… SH/Urdu is the educationally acceptable mother tongue for use as the ‘vernacular’ language of instruction…” https://www.academia.edu/36609364/Curriculum_Development_Challenges_in_Advancing_Conversational_Languages_in_Fijian_Classrooms — Preceding unsigned comment added by Theoneandonlylinguist09 (talk • contribs) 11:47, 15 June 2025 (UTC)

Fiji hindi is not official

THIS - https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1328357.pdf ". Fiji Hindi is most often the first language of the Indo-Fijians. However, Standard Hindi is formally recognised as the standard language" "Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and Shree Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji provided a unified approach to convince the Minister for Education to remove Fiji Hindi from the Hindi national examination papers." THIS PROVES FIJI HINDI IS NOT FIJIS OFFICIAL LANGUAGE — Preceding unsigned comment added by Theoneandonlylinguist09 (talk • contribs) 12:06, 15 June 2025 (UTC)

A language conflict?

@Oklopfer I don't know what the conflict it is, but about Fiji Hindi ≠ Hindi I was followed it. Can you explain about why wasn't Hindi as a language that spoken in Fiji, but Fiji Hindi? señor verde⸻pregúnteme 22:57, 14 March 2026 (UTC)

@Señor verde Both are spoken in Fiji, but only Standard Hindi has a formal written standard and is used in government, while Fiji Hindi is taught in schools and is mostly a spoken language only. Standard Hindi is a Western Hindi language while Fiji Hindi is an Eastern Hindi language, so they're from different branches of the Indo-Aryan family ~ oklopfer (💬) 00:45, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

Interesting, when India and Fiji are so far, it looks impossible Hindi/Fiji Hindi appears in Fiji, while Fiji same as Oceanic countries that using Austronesian languages. señor verde⸻pregúnteme 04:59, 15 March 2026 (UTC)

People migrated from India to Fiji and brought it with them, just as English is spoken in many places that are nowhere near England. Largoplazo (talk) 12:02, 15 March 2026 (UTC)