The Malakula languages are a group of

Central Vanuatu languages The Central Vanuatu languages form a linkage of Southern Oceanic languages spoken in central Vanuatu. Languages Clark (2009) Clark (2009) provides the following classification of the Central Vanuatu languages, divided into geographic areas. Outl ...

spoken on

Malakula Malakula Island, also spelled Malekula, is the second-largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, formerly the New Hebrides, in Melanesia, a region of the Pacific Ocean. Location Malakula is separated from the islands of Espiritu Santo and Malo by ...

Island 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 ...

. Unlike some earlier classifications,

Lynch Lynch may refer to: Places Australia * Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica * Lynch Point, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica * Lynch's Crater, Queensland, Australia England * River Lynch, Hertfordshire * The Lynch, an island in the River ...

(2016) considers the Malakula languages to form a coherent group.

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. *Northern ** Malua Bay **North Coast ***

Nese Nese may refer to: * Nese, Italy, a village in northern Italy * Nese, Norway, a village in south-western Norway * Nese language, an Oceanic language or dialect spoken in Vanuatu * Tony Nese, American professional wrestler See also * Neşe, ...

*** Botovro ***Vovo, Vao *Eastern **

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 ...

** 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.

Classification

Languages

References

Further reading

External links