Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Malayo-Polynesian (EMP) languages form a putative subgroup of the Malayo-Polynesian languages
consisting of over 500 language
s. Their relationship is not supported by much linguistic data: per Malcolm Ross
, there is "essentially no evidence" that the Halmahera–Cenderawasih (South Halmahera – West New Guinea) and Oceanic families form an exclusive clade within Malayo-Polynesian, while a 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database gives the proposal a confidence level of only 58%.
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. These are widely dispersed throughout the island nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean, with a smaller number in continental Asia...
consisting of over 500 language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s. Their relationship is not supported by much linguistic data: per Malcolm Ross
Malcolm Ross
Malcolm David Ross is a linguist and professor at the Australian National University. He has published work on Austronesian and Papuan languages, historical linguistics, and language contact.-External links:**...
, there is "essentially no evidence" that the Halmahera–Cenderawasih (South Halmahera – West New Guinea) and Oceanic families form an exclusive clade within Malayo-Polynesian, while a 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database gives the proposal a confidence level of only 58%.