The Central Vanuatu languages form a

linkage Linkage may refer to: * ''Linkage'' (album), by J-pop singer Mami Kawada, released in 2010 *Linkage (graph theory), the maximum min-degree of any of its subgraphs *Linkage (horse), an American Thoroughbred racehorse * Linkage (hierarchical cluster ...

Southern Oceanic languages The Southern Oceanic languages are a linkage of Oceanic languages spoken in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. It was proposed by Lynch, Ross, and Crowley in 2002 and supported by later studies. They consider it to be a linkage rather than a language ...

spoken in central

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

Languages

Clark (2009)

Clark (2009) provides the following classification of the Central Vanuatu languages, divided into geographic areas. Outlier (aberrant) languages identified by Clark (2009) are in ''italics''. Clark's Central Vanuatu branch is wider in scope, including not only the Shepherd–Efate languages, but also the Malakula and Ambrym–Paama–Epi languages. *Central Vanuatu **

Malakula languages The Malakula languages are a group of Central Vanuatu languages spoken on Malakula Island in central Vanuatu. Unlike some earlier classifications, Lynch (2016) considers the Malakula languages to form a coherent group. Classification Lynch (201 ...

*** Northeast Malakula (

Uripiv Uripiv Island is a small inhabited island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean. Uripiv lies off the north coast of Malekula Island. The estimated terrain elevation above the sea level is some 8 meters. Population As of 2015, the o ...

), Vao, Vovo; '' Mpotovoro'' ***'' Dirak'', '' Malua Bay'' ***'' V’ënen Taut'', '' Tape'' ***'' Larevat'', '' Neve’ei'', '' Naman'' ***'' Navava'', '' Nevwervwer'' *** Unua- Pangkumu *** Banam Bay, Aulua *** Lendamboi; '' Nasarian'' *** Axamb, Avok, Maskelynes, Port Sandwich *** Sinesip, Naha’ai; '' Ninde'' **Ambrym–Paama– Epi area ***

Ambrym Island Ambrym is a volcanic island in Malampa Province in the archipelago of Vanuatu. Volcanic activity on the island includes lava lakes in two craters near the summit. Etymology Ambrym (also known as ''Ambrin'', ''"ham rim"'' in the Ranon language) ...

: North Ambrym, West Ambrym, South Ambrym *** Paama Island: Southeast Ambrym, Paamese *** Epi Island: Lewo, Lamen, Bierebo, Baki *** Epi Island: Mkir, Bieria **Shepherd–Efate area ***

Shepherd Islands The Shepherd Islands (coordinates ) are a group of islands lying between the larger islands of Epi and Éfaté, in the Shefa province of Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu ...

: Nakanamanga (

Nguna Nguna Island is an outer island off the north coast of Efate, Vanuatu in Undine Bay. It is neighbored to the east by Pele Island and to the west by Moso Island. Geography The island is bisected by two extinct volcano craters, the highest of w ...

); '' Namakir'' ***

Efate Island Efate (french: Éfaté) is an island in the Pacific Ocean which is part of the Shefa Province in Vanuatu. It is also known as Île Vate. Geography It is the most populous (approx. 66,000) island in Vanuatu. Efate's land area of makes it V ...

: South Efate

François (2015)

The following list of 19 Central Vanuatu languages (excluding the

) is from François (

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

:18-21). Additionally, the extinct Sowa language was formerly spoken in central Vanuatu.

References

* . {{DEFAULTSORT:Central Vanuatu Languages Southern Oceanic languages Languages of Vanuatu