1. Community, homeland and linguistic identity

ANLHE Solomon Islands linguistic identity audit (November 2026): Owa (Aorigi) is an Oceanic language spoken in the southern Makira and Santa Ana region. The official environmental inventory distinguishes Owa from Kahua, Arosi and Tairaha. The labels Owa and Aorigi refer to a documentary language identity; they should not be automatically counted as two independent ISO-coded languages. Language inventory and classification reference.

Owa (Aorigi) is a language historically associated with Santa Ana (Owa Raha) and Santa Catalina (Owa Riki), southeast Solomon Islands. ISO 639-3: stn. Language labels, historical spellings and regional varieties must be interpreted in relation to the cited documents. A genealogically related language is not interchangeable with this one.

2. Historical documentation and scholarly chronology

Greg Mellow published A Dictionary of Owa: A Language of the Solomon Islands in 2013, Pacific Linguistics volume 639. The large 821-page volume includes source attribution, word-class descriptions, phonology, nouns, noun phrases, verbs, clauses, discourse, an Owa–English dictionary, an English–Owa finder and a semantic-domain index. This reference makes Owa unusually suitable for detailed lessons, though separate source citations must be supplied for individual forms.

A historical publication date does not establish the date the language began; archival speaker counts or old orthographic policy cannot be assumed valid for 2026.

3. Writing system, alphabet and phonetics

Mellow’s dictionary includes a phonological and orthographic introduction. The original spellings of the Owa dictionary should be reproduced with their exact signs and local labels. Roman-script representation cannot be construed as independent evidence for ancient letters.

Scientific transcription, phonemic analysis and community orthography may differ. The existence of romanized historical text does not establish a separate ancient script.

4. Grammar, morphemes and complete sentences

The dictionary’s grammatical introductory sections give real support for noun phrase, verb phrase, clause and discourse study. Before writing full dialogues or morphological tables, check actual cited examples in the 2013 edition rather than extrapolate from a short catalogue description.

Clauses for classroom use must be cited from original-language evidence rather than manufactured from comparative reconstructions. Source-unverified grammatical topics are presented as research assignments.

5. Selected real lexical evidence and catalog identifiers

• Owa Raha: Santa Ana place designation, not an illustrative sentence.
• Owa Riki: Santa Catalina place designation, not an illustrative sentence.
• stn: ISO code, not a lexical headword.

Items marked as codes or names are metadata, not teaching vocabulary. Contextual language examples must be checked in the cited edition before reuse.

6. Social and cultural interpretation

Island ecosystems, sea travel, household life, kinship language, contact between different Oceanic communities and historically recorded educational activities can inform the study of this language. Such topics must be corroborated with local sources; archival descriptions are neither universal social claims nor verified current statistics.

7. Specific bibliography and research collection

• National Library of New Zealand: Mellow (2013), Dictionary of Owa. https://natlib.govt.nz/records/32962863

Each later language lesson should add exact dictionary entries, page numbers or audio timestamps. Publisher and community reuse rights must be checked before publishing long quotations or recordings.

8. Ninety-lesson syllabus and evidence standards

Nine modules each contain ten individually titled assignments with a thematic focus, verifiable source-reading objective and assessment. These are detailed documentary research prompts, not fully authored language textbooks.

Module 1: History and language-specific documentary witnesses — Lessons 1–10

Original research topic: Santa Ana and Catalina. Cross-link to Mellow 2013 dictionary. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

1. Lesson 1: Island and village geography — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
2. Lesson 2: Name and endonym — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
3. Lesson 3: Language classification — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
4. Lesson 4: Adjacent language distinctions — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
5. Lesson 5: Primary text chronology — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
6. Lesson 6: Researcher and speaker attribution — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
7. Lesson 7: Archive manuscript status — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
8. Lesson 8: Published dictionary history — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
9. Lesson 9: Source genre and period — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
10. Lesson 10: Bibliographic verification — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

Module 2: Alphabet, phonology and documented spelling — Lessons 11–20

Original research topic: Mellow 2013 dictionary. Cross-link to Pacific Linguistics 639. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

11. Lesson 11: Source graphemes — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
12. Lesson 12: Consonant evidence — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
13. Lesson 13: Vowel evidence — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
14. Lesson 14: Segment length where supported — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
15. Lesson 15: Syllable structure — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
16. Lesson 16: Stress or intonation in records — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
17. Lesson 17: Phonetic versus orthographic notation — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
18. Lesson 18: Dialect spelling variants — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
19. Lesson 19: Audio cross-checking — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
20. Lesson 20: Phonological source portfolio — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

Module 3: Authentic wordlists and lexical semantics — Lessons 21–30

Original research topic: Pacific Linguistics 639. Cross-link to 821-page source. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

21. Lesson 21: Headword methodology — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
22. Lesson 22: Body-part terms — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
23. Lesson 23: Kinship semantics — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
24. Lesson 24: Marine vocabulary — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
25. Lesson 25: Land ecology — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
26. Lesson 26: Food and subsistence — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
27. Lesson 27: Movement and direction — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
28. Lesson 28: Counting and numerals — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
29. Lesson 29: Historical semantic change — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
30. Lesson 30: Verified lexical notebook — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

Module 4: Noun phrase structures and pronouns — Lessons 31–40

Original research topic: 821-page source. Cross-link to dictionary word classes. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

31. Lesson 31: Noun categories — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
32. Lesson 32: Person reference — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
33. Lesson 33: Singular number — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
34. Lesson 34: Dual number if attested — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
35. Lesson 35: Plural reference — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
36. Lesson 36: Determiners and articles — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
37. Lesson 37: Demonstratives — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
38. Lesson 38: Possessive relationships — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
39. Lesson 39: Kinship possession — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
40. Lesson 40: Authenticated noun phrase — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

Module 5: Verbal morphology and sentence patterns — Lessons 41–50

Original research topic: dictionary word classes. Cross-link to noun phrase constructions. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

41. Lesson 41: Verb identification — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
42. Lesson 42: Transitive structures — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
43. Lesson 43: Time expressions — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
44. Lesson 44: Aspect and mood — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
45. Lesson 45: Negation — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
46. Lesson 46: Question sentences — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
47. Lesson 47: Directives and imperatives — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
48. Lesson 48: Clause argument order — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
49. Lesson 49: Clause coordination — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
50. Lesson 50: Annotated original-language sentence — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

Module 6: Original texts and contextual translation — Lessons 51–60

Original research topic: noun phrase constructions. Cross-link to verb phrase constructions. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

51. Lesson 51: Identify an archival original text — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
52. Lesson 52: Speaker and editor metadata — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
53. Lesson 53: Transcription fidelity — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
54. Lesson 54: Word-by-word segmentation — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
55. Lesson 55: Morphological gloss — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
56. Lesson 56: Literal translation — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
57. Lesson 57: Contextual translation — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
58. Lesson 58: Narrative development — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
59. Lesson 59: Cultural interpretation — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
60. Lesson 60: Critical annotated excerpt — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

Module 7: Comparative language history — Lessons 61–70

Original research topic: verb phrase constructions. Cross-link to clause structure. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

61. Lesson 61: Oceanic comparative framework — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
62. Lesson 62: Cognacy methods — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
63. Lesson 63: Sound correspondence — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
64. Lesson 64: Borrowing diagnostics — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
65. Lesson 65: Dialect-specific variation — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
66. Lesson 66: Historical edition comparison — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
67. Lesson 67: Regional contact influences — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
68. Lesson 68: Source dating methods — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
69. Lesson 69: Limits of reconstruction — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
70. Lesson 70: Scholarly comparative case — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

Module 8: Community language and archival ethics — Lessons 71–80

Original research topic: clause structure. Cross-link to discourse and texts. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

71. Lesson 71: Community agency — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
72. Lesson 72: Ecological and marine knowledge — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
73. Lesson 73: Kinship and social context — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
74. Lesson 74: Transmission through generations — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
75. Lesson 75: Multilingual contexts — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
76. Lesson 76: Education and literacy — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
77. Lesson 77: Audio-text permissions — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
78. Lesson 78: Speaker intellectual credit — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
79. Lesson 79: Community review of forms — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
80. Lesson 80: Archive stewardship — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

Module 9: Advanced research portfolio and synthesis — Lessons 81–90

Original research topic: discourse and texts. Cross-link to semantic-domain finder. Distinguish a historical scholar’s observation from a later hypothesis and identify the local variety.

81. Lesson 81: Annotated bibliography — discourse and texts. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
82. Lesson 82: Original orthography table — semantic-domain finder. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
83. Lesson 83: Documented phonetic matrix — Santa Ana and Catalina. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
84. Lesson 84: Verified headwords — Mellow 2013 dictionary. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
85. Lesson 85: Pronoun evidence audit — Pacific Linguistics 639. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
86. Lesson 86: Clause and verb research — 821-page source. Compile a small verification table with source, speaker or editor, page or record identifier, original form and its contextual sense. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
87. Lesson 87: One authentic source passage — dictionary word classes. Design a community or archival checking procedure for any feature not directly established in the cited work. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
88. Lesson 88: Historical comparison — noun phrase constructions. Identify the precise primary-language witness and its date, quote only a verifiable short form, and distinguish original orthography from the English gloss. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
89. Lesson 89: Ethical publishing checklist — verb phrase constructions. Prepare a documented contrast with source-based observations and no guessed forms from a neighboring language. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.
90. Lesson 90: Full ninety-objective dossier — clause structure. Explain one morphological or cultural interpretation supported by an archival example and identify at least one evidentiary limitation. Assessment: an independently prepared cited evidence record with a clear limitation statement.

9. Integrity statement and teaching-material readiness

This profile includes ninety research lesson outlines rather than ninety completed books, videos or native-language dialogues. No historical alphabet, unattested grammatical paradigm or unsupported contemporary census is invented. Further educational expansion should be checked directly against source texts, respecting speaker authority and reproduction rights.