East Vanuatu languages
Encyclopedia
Languages
A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database included seven East Vanuatu languages. Three, the Paama–Ambrym languages, were found to form a separate family. The other four were fully supported as a unit, and fell into two branches:- Maewo (Peterara) and Hano (Raga)Raga languageRaga is the language of northern Pentecost island in Vanuatu. Raga belongs to the East Vanuatu languages, a branch of the Austronesian languages family...
- MotaMota language-External links:* in Mota* from Project Canterbury*...
and Mwotlap
The languages traditionally included in East Vanuatu are,
- Alo-TeqelAlo-Teqel language-References:* Codrington, Robert Henry . The Melanesian Languages. Oxford: Clarendon Press. ....
(extinct) - ApmaApma languageApma is the language of central Pentecost island in Vanuatu. Apma belongs to the East Vanuatu languages, a branch of the Austronesian languages family....
( Abma) - Baetora
- Dakaka
- DorigDorig language-External links:* .* ....
( Wetamut) - East AmbaeEast Ambae languageEast Ambae is an Oceanic language spoken on Ambae, Vanuatu...
( Lolovoli) - HiwHiw languageHiw is an Oceanic language spoken on Hiw island, in the Torres islands of Vanuatu.It is distinct from Lo-Toga, the other language of the Torres group.-Phonology:Hiw has 9 phonemic vowels...
- KoroKoro language (Vanuatu)-External links:* ....
- LakonLakon languageExternal links=* in Lakon from Project Canterbury* *...
( Lakona) - Lehali
- Lonwolwol
- Lo-TogaLo-Toga language-Situation and dialects:Its 580 speakers live mostly in Lo and Toga, the two main islands in the southern half of the Torres group. The same language is also spoken by the small populations of the two other islands of Linua and Tegua....
( Toga) - Löyöp ( Lehalurup)
- Maewo ( Peterara)
- MotaMota language-External links:* in Mota* from Project Canterbury*...
- MwerlapMwerlap language-External links:**...
( Merlav) - Mwesen ( Mosina, Vurës)
- Mwotlap ( Motlav)
- North Ambrym
- Nume
- Port Vato
- RagaRaga languageRaga is the language of northern Pentecost island in Vanuatu. Raga belongs to the East Vanuatu languages, a branch of the Austronesian languages family...
( Hano) - Sa
- SkeSke languageSke is an endangered language of south-western Pentecost island in Vanuatu. Ske belongs to the East Vanuatu languages, a branch of the Austronesian languages family....
- SowaSowa languageSowa was the original language of south-central Pentecost island in Vanuatu. In recent times it has been totally displaced by Apma, a neighbouring language. Sowa is very closely related to Ske, another south Pentecost language....
- Sungwadia ( Marino)
- Vera'a ( Vatrata)
- West Ambae
It is not clear if these actually form a valid group.
Phonological, grammatical and lexical data on 17 of these languages (Torres
Torres Islands
The Torres Islands are in the Torba Province of Vanuatu, the northernmost island group in the country. The chain of islands that make up this micro-archipelago straddle the broader cultural boundary that distinguishes Island Melanesia from several Polynesian outliers located in the neighbouring...
and Banks
Banks Islands
The Banks Islands are a group of islands in northern Vanuatu.Together with the Torres Islands to the northwest, they make up the northernmost province of Torba. The group lies about north of Maewo, and includes Gaua and Vanua Lava, two of the 13 largest islands in Vanuatu...
Is) can be found in François (2005).