Languages

The Malekula languages have been divided into interior and coastal groups. However, this classification is not well supported. According to a 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database, the interior and some of the coastal languages, such as Nahavaq, are related as a group, whereas the analysis found 70% support for including the coastal Nese language. Confidence was higher (90%) for the Santo–Malekula languages.

The traditional classification is,
Interior

• Labo
• Malekula Central languages
  Malekula Central languages
  The family of Malekula Central languages is a subgroup of the Malekula Interior languages. It consists of 8 languages.-Languages:The languages are,*Big Nambas*Lingarak*Larevat*Litzlitz *Maragus*Nasarian*Katbol *Vinmavis *Uripiv...
  
  
  • Big Nambas
    Big Nambas language
    Big Nambas is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by about 1,800 people in northwest Malekula, Vanuatu. Approximately nineteen villages in the Big Nambas region of the Malekula Interior use the language exclusively with no variation in dialect. It was studied in-depth over a period of about 10...
    
    
  • Lingarak
  • Larevat
  • Litzlitz (Naman)
  • Maragus
  • Nasarian
  • Katbol (Avava)
  • Vinmavis (Neve'ei)
• Small Nambas languages
  Small Nambas languages
  The family of Small Nambas languages is a subgroup of the Malekula Interior languages. It consists of 3 languages:...
  
  
  • Dixon Reef
  • Letemboi
  • Repanbitip

Coastal

• Axamb
• Aulua
  Aulua language
  Aulua or Aulua Bay is an Oceanic language spoken in east Malekula, Vanuatu....
  
  
• Maskelynes
• Malua Bay
• Malfaxal
• Mae
• Mpotovoro
• Unua
• Rerep
  Rerep language
  The Rerep language is one of the great many languages of the Malekula Coast group spoken in Vanuatu. In 1983 it had 375 speakers out of an ethnic population of 580. Portions of the Bible were translated into Rerep between 1892 and 1913....
  
  
• Port Sandwich
• Nahavaq (South West Bay)
• Uripiv
  Uripiv language
  Uripiv, or more precisely Uripiv-Wala-Rano-Atchin, is a language spoken on Vanuatu. Uripiv is spoken today by about 9,000 people. Literacy rate of Uripiv speakers in their own language is about 10 - 30%....
  
  -Wala-Rano-Atchin dialect chain
• Vao
  Vao language
  Vao is an Austronesian language of the Oceanic branch spoken by about 1,900 people on Vao Island and on the nearby shores of Malakula Island, Vanuatu.-Characteristics:Vao is one of the few languages of the world, possessing linguolabial consonants....
  
  
• Burmbar
• Nese