Editing Marshallese language (section)

{{Short description|Micronesian language of the Marshall Islands}}
{{use mdy dates|cs1-dates=ly|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Marshallese
| altname = Ebon<ref name="eth">{{cite web
  | title = Marshallese
  | publisher = [[SIL International]]
  | url = http://www.ethnologue.org/show_language.asp?code=mah
  | access-date = December 5, 2012
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411065329/http://www.ethnologue.com/language/mah
  | archive-date=2015-04-11 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
| nativename = <small>(new orthography)</small> {{lang|mh|Kajin Ṃajeḷ}}<br/><small>(old orthography)</small> {{lang|mh|Kajin Majōl}}
| states = [[Marshall Islands]]
| speakers = 55,000
| ethnicity= [[Marshallese people|Marshallese]]
| date = 1979
| ref = e18
| familycolor = Austronesian
| fam2 = [[Malayo-Polynesian languages|Malayo-Polynesian]]
| fam3 = [[Oceanic languages|Oceanic]]
| fam4 = [[Micronesian languages|Micronesian]]
| fam5 = Micronesian Proper
| fam6 = Nuclear Micronesian
| nation = {{flag|Marshall Islands}}
| script = [[Latin script|Latin]] ([[Marshallese orthography|Marshallese alphabet]])
| iso1 = mh
| iso2 = mah
| iso3 = mah
| glotto = mars1254
| glottorefname = Marshallese
|map=Micronesian languages.en.svg
|mapcaption=Map of [[Micronesian languages]]; Marshallese is spoken in the orange area.
}}
{{Culture of the Marshall Islands}}
'''Marshallese''' ({{langx|mh|Kajin Ṃajeḷ|link=no}} or {{lang|mh|Kajin Majōl}} {{IPAc-mh|kajin mhahjelh}}), also known as '''Ebon''', is a [[Micronesian language]] spoken in the [[Marshall Islands]]. The language of the [[Marshallese people]], it is spoken by nearly all of the country's population of 59,000, making it the principal language.<ref name=Pop>{{cite web |title=Population, total – Marshall Islands |publisher=The World Bank |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=MH}}</ref> There are also roughly 27,000 Marshallese citizens residing in the [[United States]],<ref name=Ruststaff>{{cite web |author=Susanne Ruststaff |date=Dec 31, 2019 |title=They came here after the U.S. irradiated their islands. Now they face an uncertain future |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-12-31/marshall-islands-uncertain-future-us-marshallese-spokane}}</ref> nearly all of whom speak Marshallese, as well as residents in other countries such as [[Nauru]] and [[Kiribati]].

There are two major dialects, the western [[Ralik Chain|Rālik]] and the eastern [[Ratak Chain|Ratak]].