ɪt jˈuːzd təbi spˈoʊkən pɹɪdˈɑːmɪnəntli ˌɔn pˈævuːvˌuː, ðə lˈɑːɹdʒɪst ˈaɪlənd, bˌʌt ðə spˈiːkɚz wɜː fˈoːɹsfəli ɹᵻloʊkˈeɪɾᵻd baɪ ðə bɹˈɪɾɪʃ tə ðə smˈɔːlɚɹ ˈaɪləndz ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ tə mˌeɪk wˈeɪ fɔːɹ plæntˈeɪʃənz.
It used to be spoken predominantly on Pavuvu, the largest island, but the speakers were forcefully relocated by the British to the smaller islands in order to make way for plantations.