▁literally ▁" the ▁language ▁of ▁T obi ") ▁is ▁the ▁language ▁of ▁T obi , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁South west ▁Islands ▁of ▁Pal au , ▁and ▁the ▁main ▁island ▁of ▁Hat oh ob ei ▁state . ▁Tob ian ▁is ▁a ▁Mic ron esian ▁language ▁spoken ▁by ▁approximately ▁ 1 5 0 ▁people . ▁The ▁speak ers ▁are ▁located ▁in ▁either ▁the ▁island ▁of ▁T obi ▁or ▁in ▁E ch ang , ▁a ▁ham let ▁of ▁Kor or , ▁the ▁former ▁capital ▁of ▁Pal au . ▁Tob ian ▁and ▁S ons or ol ese ▁are ▁very ▁close , ▁and ▁appear ▁to ▁be ▁gradually ▁mer ging ▁towards ▁a ▁new ▁dialect ▁called ▁" E ch ang ese ". ▁Ear lier ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁about ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁people ▁lived ▁on ▁the ▁island . ▁Short ly ▁before ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War , ▁those ▁numbers ▁dropped ▁sever ely ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁w ides p read ▁of ▁dise ases . ▁ ▁Classification ▁ ▁Tob ian ▁and ▁the ▁dialect s ▁of ▁S ons or ol , ▁Mer ir , ▁and ▁P ulo ▁Ana , ▁the ▁other ▁inhab ited ▁South west ▁Islands , ▁are ▁closely ▁related ▁to ▁the ▁languages ▁spoken ▁in ▁the ▁Feder ated ▁States ▁of ▁Mic ron esia ▁outer ▁islands ▁of ▁Y ap ▁and ▁Tru k ▁L ago on . ▁These ▁include ▁Ul ith i ▁and ▁the ▁Central ▁Carol ines . ▁Alt ogether , ▁these ▁languages ▁form ▁a ▁sub - group ▁within ▁the ▁Mic ron esian ▁languages . ▁The ▁names ▁of