Editing Tobian language (section)

{{Short description|Micronesian language spoken in Palau}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Tobian
|nativename=''Ramarih Hatohobei''
|states=[[Palau]]
|region=[[Hatohobei]], [[Koror]], [[Sonsorol]]
|pushpin_map = Southeast Asia
|coordinates = {{coord|3.00|131.17}}
|speakers=150
|date=2017
|ref=<ref name=e21>{{e21}}</ref>
|familycolor=Austronesian
|fam2=[[Malayo-Polynesian languages|Malayo-Polynesian]]
|fam3=[[Oceanic languages|Oceanic]]
|fam4=[[Micronesian languages|Micronesian]]
|fam5=Micronesian Proper
|fam6=Nuclear Micronesian
|fam7=[[Chuukic–Pohnpeic languages|Chuukic–Pohnpeic]]
|fam8=[[Chuukic languages|Chuukic]]
|nation={{flag|Palau}}
|script= [[Latin script]]<ref name=e21>{{e21}}</ref>
|iso3=tox
|glotto=tobi1238
|glottorefname=Tobian
}}{{Infobox language
|name=Pidgin Tobi
|region=
|speakers=none
|date=
|ref=
|familycolor=Pidgin
|family=Tobi-based pidgin
|iso3=none
|glotto2=hora1238
|glottorefname2=Horace Holden's Pidgin Tobi
}}

'''Tobian''' ({{lang|tox|ramarih Hatohobei}}, literally "the language of Tobi") is the language of [[Tobi (island)|Tobi]], one of the [[Southwest Islands (Palau)|Southwest Islands]] of Palau, and the main island of [[Hatohobei]] state. Tobian is a [[Micronesian languages|Micronesian language]] spoken by approximately 150 people, about 22 are native speakers. The speakers are located in either the island of Tobi or in [[Echang]], a hamlet of [[Koror]], the former capital of Palau. Tobian and [[Sonsorolese language|Sonsorolese]] are very close, and appear to be gradually merging towards a new dialect called "Echangese".<ref>{{Cite book|title=Person, Self, and Experience: Exploring Pacific Ethnopsychologies|last=White & Kirkpatrick|first=Geoffrey & John|publisher=The Regents of the University of California|year=1985|isbn=0-520-05280-3|location=Berkeley & Los Angeles, California|pages=266}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Grammar & Vocabulary of the Language of Sonsorol - Tobi|last=CAPELL|first=ARTHUR|publisher=Washington Pacific Science Office, National Research Council|year=1951|location=Washington}}</ref> Earlier in the 20th century, about 1000 people lived on the island. Shortly before and during the First World War, those numbers dropped severely due to an abundance of disease.