Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Southeast Solomonic languages

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Geographic distribution
  
Solomon Islands

Glottolog
  
sout2853

Southeast Solomonic languages

Linguistic classification
  
Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Central–Eastern Southeast Solomonic

Subdivisions
  
Gela–Guadalcanal Malaita – San Cristobal

The family of Southeast Solomonic languages forms a branch of the Oceanic languages. It consists of some 26 languages covering the South East Solomon Islands, from the tip of Santa Isabel to Makira. The fact that there is little diversity amongst these languages, compared to groups of similar size in Melanesia, suggests that they dispersed in the relatively recent past. Bugotu is one of the most conservative languages.

Languages

According to Lynch, Ross, & Crowley (2002), the structure of the family is as follows:

  • Bugotu–Gela–Guadalcanal family
  • Bughotu (Bugotu)
  • Gela–Guadalcanal family
  • Gelic: Lengo, Gela
  • Guadalcanal: Birao, Ghari, Malango, Talise
  • Longgu–Malaita–Makira family
  • Longgu
  • Malaita–Makira family
  • Sa'a
  • Makira (San Cristobal): Arosi, Fagani, Bauro, Kahua–Owa, ?Marau Wawa
  • Malaita
  • Central–North Malaita: North (To'abaita, Baelelea, Baeggu, Fataleka), Lau, Kwara'ae, Wala, Gula'alaa, Kwaio, Dori'o
  • Southern Malaita: 'Are'are, Marau, Oroha

    • References

    Southeast Solomonic languages Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA