The Piru Bay languages are a group of twenty
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. The Malayo-Polynesian languages are spoken by the Austronesian peoples outside of Taiwan, in the island nations of Southeast ...
, spoken on
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon, Maluku, Ambon to the south and various districts ('' ...
and around
Piru Bay on the island of
Seram
Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent is ...
. None of the languages have more than about twenty thousand speakers, and several are endangered with extinction.
Classification
The languages are as follows:
[James T. Collins. 1983. ''The historical relationships of the languages of Central Maluku, Indonesia.'' Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. (Pacific Linguistics: Series D-47.)]
*West Piru Bay (Seram and Ambon islands)
**
Asilulu
**Hoamoal:
Luhu (Piru),
Manipa
Manipa Island is an island in West Seram Regency, Maluku Province, Indonesia. It is located 8 km off the western coast of Kelang at the western end of Seram Island and 25 km off the western coast of Buru. Including adjacent small islands ...
;
Larike-Wakasihu,
Boano
Boano Island is an island in West Seram Regency, Maluku Province, Indonesia. It is located off the northern coast of the Hoamoal Peninsula at the western end of Seram Island, across the Boano Strait. The inhabitants speak the Boano language, ...
*East Piru Bay
**
Sepa,
Teluti
**Solehua
***
Paulohi
***Seram Straits
****
Kaibobo
****Ambon:
Hitu
Hitu is an Austronesian language of the Central Malayo-Polynesian subgroup spoken on Ambon Island in eastern Indonesia, part of a dialect chain
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of language varieties spoken across some geo ...
,
Tulehu
Tulehu is a village in Salahutu, Central Maluku Regency, Maluku, Indonesia.
Residents of Tulehu and surrounding areas speak the Tulehu language, which differs slightly in dialect from one village to the next.
Sport
Despite its small size Tulehu ...
;
Laha,
Seit-Kaitetu
****Uliase (
Lease Islands
The Lease Islands, formerly called the Uliasers or Uliassers, are a group of three inhabited islands (and smaller uninhabited islets), lying immediately to the south of Seram and east of Ambon Island in the province of Maluku (province), Maluku, ...
)
*****
Kamarian
*****Hatuhaha
******
Haruku
******Saparuan
*******Elpaputi:
Amahai
Amahai is a village on the south coast of the Indonesian island of Seram, to the south of Masohi
Masohi is a coastal town on the Indonesian island of Seram. It is the capital of the Central Maluku Regency (Kebupaten Maluku Tengah). It was the s ...
,
Nusa Laut
Nusa Laut is the smallest inhabited island in the Lease Islands group east of Ambon, in Indonesia's Maluku province.
It lies just off the south-western corner of Saparua island, separated from it by a deep channel. The island's coasts are fringed ...
*******Saparua:
Saparua
Saparua is an island east of Ambon Island in the Indonesian province of Maluku; the island of Haruku lies between Saparua and Ambon. The main port is in the south at Kota Saparua. The island of Maolana is located near its southwestern side and ...
,
Latu
Many of the Piru Bay languages form a
dialect continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...
.
References
Languages of Indonesia
Central Maluku languages
Seram Island
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