“C is pronounced TH? Q is NG? And why is Nandi spelled N-A-D-I-?”

These questions have been asked by almost every visitor to Fiji for over a century and a half. Here, we answer these questions (and many others!), showing that the designers of the system didn’t choose the unusual features of their alphabet at random, or—as sometimes suggested—because they ran out of certain letters when they began to print books in Fijian.

Instead, there were reasons for their choices, and the result is a very efficient writing system—so efficient, in fact, that you can pronounce Fijian words accurately if you learn just a few simple patterns.

Every language is closely tied to the culture of its speakers. And, just as you will enjoy Fiji more by participating in its culture, you will also enjoy it more by learning and using some of its language, even if it’s only some common words and greetings to show that you care. Fijian is a living language—a language to be used, to be perpetuated, and to be savored.