What language is spoken in Rapa Nui (Easter Island)?

Question

Does anyone know for sure?

Answer 1

The language is an Austronesian language called Rapanui. The following is a grammar of the language: http://www.amazon.com/Rapanui-Descriptive-Grammars-Veronica-Feu/dp/0415000114/sr=8-4/qid=1171261489/ref=sr_1_4/104-3332325-8518305?ie=UTF8&s=books. Rapanui is part of the Polynesian group of the Oceanic branch of Austronesian.

Answer 2

"The Rapa Nui language (also Rapanui) is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Rapanui, the inhabitants of Easter Island.

The Rapa Nui language forms its own subgroup within that classification: this means that Rapa Nui on one hand and Central Eastern Polynesian (the Marquesic languages, Rapan and the Tahitic languages) on the other comprise the whole of Eastern Polynesian.

Within Eastern Polynesian, it is closest to Marquesan morphologically, although its phonology has more in common with that of New Zealand Māori, if only because both languages are relatively conservative in retaining consonants lost in other Eastern Polynesian languages. A Tahitian man brought by Captain James Cook was said to be able to communicate with the locals.

Rapa Nui has the distinction of being the only language in Oceania to have been committed to writing prior to the arrival of Christian missionaries in the 17th century, albeit some (including Jared Diamond) believe the idea of writing to have spread there earlier through European contact. The unique (to date undeciphered) script is called Rongorongo (Rongo-rongo)."

Answer 3

The language is called Vananga Rapa Nui, I think.

Answer 4

They have Spanish as official language because they belong to Chile but they also have a dialect (polynesian).

Answer 5

The natives spoke a Polynesian dialect. It is now owned by Chile. They speak Spanish

Answer 6

tahitic