Spoken mostly by the Carolinian people, Carolinian is most closely related to Satawalese, Woleaian, and Puluwatese.

Before obtaining independence in 1978, the indigenous Chamorro and Carolinian people, going back to the 16th century, were governed by the Spanish, the Germans, the Japanese and then the United States.

It was previously known to the Chamorro people, who called it ngånga' (palao) in Chamorro, and to the Carolinian people, who called it ghereel'bwel in Carolinian.