Oceanic languages

  • Admiralties and Yapese
  • St. Matthias
  • Westozeanisch and Meso - Melanesian
  • Temotu
  • Südostsalomonisch
  • Südozeanisch
  • Micronesian
  • Fiji - Polynesian

The Oceanic languages ​​are the eastern group of the Malayo -Polynesian branch of the Austronesian languages. The Polynesian and Micronesian languages ​​which are the best known subgroups of Oceanic languages. The majority of the total of about 450 Oceanic languages ​​has only a few hundred to a thousand speakers. Many of the languages ​​are not verschriftlicht and poorly documented.

The Oceanic languages ​​are divided into the languages ​​of the Admiralty Islands and a western oceanic and a central - eastern oceanic branch, which includes inter alia the Micronesian and Polynesian languages ​​. Before the relationships between the languages ​​were clarified all oceanic languages ​​were in addition to the micro-and Polynesian- Melanesian languages ​​grouped under the collective term (see also Melanesia ).

Important " Melanesian " languages ​​are related to the Polynesian Fiji and the Western Oceanic languages ​​Motu, Hiri Motu and Kuanua ( Tolai ). The languages ​​Yabêm, Gedaged (west - oceanic ) and Mota (central - eastern oceanic ) were and are still partially on the group of native speakers also important as sacred languages.

  • Oceanic languages
Motuan people Hiri Motu language Tolai language Tolai people Gedaged language
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