Merig
Island
Location of Merig in Banks Islands
Location of Merig in Banks Islands
Merig is located in Vanuatu
Merig
Merig
Location in Vanuatu
Coordinates: 14°19′S 167°48′E / 14.317°S 167.800°E / -14.317; 167.800
Country Vanuatu
ProvinceTorba Province
Area
 • Total0.5 km2 (0.2 sq mi)
 [1]
Population
 (2009)
 • Total12
 • Density24/km2 (62/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+11 (VUT)

Merig is a small island located 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of Gaua, in the Banks Islands of northern Vanuatu.

The island is about 800 metres (2,600 feet) wide, and has a circumference of 2.2 kilometres (1 mile).

Name

The name Merig [ŋ͡mʷeriɣ] comes from the Mota language. It comes from a Proto-Torres-Banks form *mʷera riɣi "the small boy" via haplology to *mʷeriɣi. It contrasts with Merelava, from *mʷera lava "the big boy". The native term in Mwerlap is N̄wërig [ŋʷɞˈriɣ], from the same etymon.

History

The first recorded sighting of Merig Island by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition of Pedro Fernández de Quirós on 25 April 1606.[2] It was then named Île Sainte Claire.[3]

Population

Merig is only inhabited by one household, consisting of 12 individuals.[4]

They speak Mwerlap,[5] the language of the neighbouring island Merelava.

References

  1. ↑ "Vanuatu". Haos Blong Volkeno. Archived from the original on 8 August 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  2. ↑ Sharp, Andrew The discovery of the Pacific Islands Oxford, 1960, p.65.
  3. ↑ Sidney Herbert Ray (29 May 2014). A Comparative Study of the Melanesian Island Languages. Cambridge University Press. pp. 427–. ISBN 978-1-107-68202-3.
  4. ↑ "2009 National Census of Population and Housing: Summary Release" (PDF). Vanuatu National Statistics Office. 2009. Retrieved October 11, 2010. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. ↑ Languages of the Banks & Torres Islands.



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