The Central Maluku languages are a proposed subgroup of the Central–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family which comprises around fifty languages spoken principally on the

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 ...

Buru Buru (formerly spelled Boeroe, Boro, or Bouru) is the third largest island within the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It lies between the Banda Sea to the south and Seram Sea to the north, west of Ambon and Seram islands. The island belongs to Ma ...

Ambon Ambon may refer to: Places * Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia ** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province ** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796 * Ambon, Morbihan, a c ...

Kei Kei may refer to: People * Kei (given name) * Kei, Cantonese for Ji (surname), Ji(姫) * Kei, Cantonese for Qi (surname), Qi(奇, 祁, 亓) * Shō Kei (1700–1752), king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom * Kei (singer) (born 1995), stage name of South Kor ...

, and the

Sula Islands The Sula Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sula) is one of the regencies in North Maluku province of Indonesia. It covers a land area of 3,338.67 km2 and consists of two of the three large islands comprising the Sula Archipelago, together ...

. None of the languages have as many as fifty thousand speakers, and several are extinct.

Classification

The traditional components of Central Maluku are the Sula,

, and

East Central Maluku languages The Central Maluku languages are a proposed subgroup of the Central–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family which comprises around fifty languages spoken principally on the Seram, Buru, Ambon, Kei, and the Sula ...

, plus the

Ambelau Ambelau or Ambalau is a volcanic island in the Banda Sea within Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island forms an administrative district ( id, Kecamatan Ambalau) which is part of the South Buru Regency ( id, Kabupaten Buru Selatan) of Maluku ...

isolate.

Collins (1983)

The following classification of the Central Maluku languages below is from

Collins Collins may refer to: People Surname Given name * Collins O. Bright (1917–?), Sierra Leonean diplomat * Collins Chabane (1960–2015), South African Minister of Public Service and Administration * Collins Cheboi (born 1987), Kenyan middle- ...

(1983:20, 22) and (1986).Collins, J.T. (1986)
"Eastern Seram: a subgrouping argument".
In Geraghty, P., Carrington, L. and Wurm, S.A. eds, ''FOCAL II: Papers from the Fourth International Conference on Austronesian Linguistics.'' C-94:123-146. Pacific Linguistics, The Australian National University. *West Central Maluku **

** Buru–Sula–Taliabo ***Buru:

, Lisela, Palumata (extinct), Moksela (extinct) ***Sula: Sula,

Mangole Mangoli or Mangole (Xulla Mangola - earlier name.) is a large island in the Sula Islands, which are part of North Maluku province in Indonesia. It is located at , east of Taliabu Island and north of Sanana Island. It has an area of 2,142.48 ...

*** Taliabo (Kadai, Padang/Samala, Mananga, Mangei/Soboyo) *East Central Maluku (around

and Aru) **Banda–Geser *** Banda ***Geser: Bati, Geser, Watubela **East Seram *** Bobot– Masiwang ***Setic: Hoti, Benggoi,

Salas Salas, from Spanish ''salas'' (rooms, halls), is a Spanish surname and a common family name in the Hispanic-speaking world. It is ranked amongst the most common surnames found in Costa Rica and in Mexico. People * Ada Salas (born 1965), Spanis ...

, Liana-Seti ** Nunusaku ***'' Kayeli'' ***Patakai–Manusela ****

Nuaulu The Nuaulu, Naulu or Nunuhai are a tribe located in Seram, Maluku, Indonesia. Description The tribe name 'Nuaulu' means head atersof the Nua River, which is the ancestral homeland of the Nuaulu people. In the late 19th century or early 20th cen ...

**** Huaulu, Manusela ***Three Rivers ****

Wemale The Wemale people are an ethnic group of Seram Island, Indonesia. They number over 7,500 and live in 39 villages of the central area of the island. Like the Alune people in the west, the Wemale people originate from a common ancestral group call ...

****Amalumute ***** Yalahatan *****Northwest Seram: Hulung, Saleman, Loun, Ulat Inai ( Alune, Naka'ela), Lisabata-Nuniali ***

Piru Bay languages The Piru Bay languages are a group of twenty Malayo-Polynesian languages, spoken on Ambon Island and around Piru Bay on the island of Seram. None of the languages have more than about twenty thousand speakers, and several are endangered with ext ...

(20 languages)

References

{{Languages of Indonesia Central Malayo-Polynesian languages C