Misplaced Pages

The Malakula languages are a group of Central Vanuatu languages spoken on Malakula Island in central Vanuatu. Unlike some earlier classifications, linguist and Oceanic languages specialist John Lynch (2016) considered the Malakula languages to form a coherent group.

Features

One distinctive feature of the Malakula languages is the pervasive loss of unstressed syllables. However, according to Lynch (2014), the innovation occurred after Proto-Malakula broke up, and may have occurred on at least seven different independent occasions.

Classification

Lynch (2016) divides the Malakula languages into three primary subgroups, namely Northern, Eastern, and Western, all three of which are linkages. Lynch (2016) recognizes 32 languages.

• Malakula
  • Northern
    • Malua Bay
    • North Coast
      • Nese
      • Botovro
      • Vovo, Vao
  • Eastern
    • Uripiv
    • Unua
    • Aulua
    • Banam Bay
    • Southeastern
      • Bwenelang
      • Nasvang, Nisvai
      • Port Sandwich, Avok, Axamb
      • Maskelynes
  • Western
    • Central Western
      • Neve'ei
      • Larëvat
      • Naman
    • Peripheral Western
      • Ninde
      • Nāti
      • Northwestern
        • V'ënen Taut
        • Tape
        • Tirax
      • Southwestern
        • Lendamboi
        • Aveteian
        • Navwien
        • Avava
        • Nasarian
        • Naha'ai, Nahavaq

The Central-Western linkage is only very weakly defined, while Ninde and Nāti have similarities with both the Northwestern and Southwestern linkages.

The positions of the Sörsörian, Rerep, Vivti, and Nitita languages were not addressed.

Languages

François (2015:18-21) lists the following 42 Malakula languages.

Vocabulary comparison

Numbers

Other basic words

References

1. ^ Lynch, John (December 2016). "Malakula Internal Subgrouping: Phonological Evidence". Oceanic Linguistics. 55 (2). University of Hawai'i Press: 399–431. doi:10.1353/ol.2016.0019. S2CID 152170547.
2. Lynch, John (July 2014). "Unexpected Final Vowel Retention in Malakula". Open Linguistics 2014. 1. De Gruyter Open: 1–16. doi:10.2478/opli-2014-0001.

Further reading

• Jean-Michel Charpentier (1982). Atlas linguistique du Sud-Malekula — Linguistic Atlas of South Malekula (Vanuatu). Paris: Centre National de la Recherche.
• François, Alexandre; Franjieh, Michael; Lacrampe, Sébastien; Schnell, Stefan (2015), "The exceptional linguistic density of Vanuatu" (PDF), in François, Alexandre; Lacrampe, Sébastien; Franjieh, Michael; Schnell, Stefan (eds.), The Languages of Vanuatu: Unity and Diversity, Studies in the Languages of Island Melanesia, Canberra: Asia Pacific Linguistics Open Access, pp. 1–21, ISBN 9781922185235

External links

• List and map of Malekula languages (A.N.U., 1995)
• Map of Vanuatu languages including Malekula
• Updated map of Malekula languages (MPI-SHH – Jena, 2018) – see presentation.

• Malekula languages
• Languages of Vanuatu