Southeast Solomonic languages
| Southeast Solomonic | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Solomon Islands |
| Linguistic classification | Austronesian
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Southeast Solomonic |
| Subdivisions |
|
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | sout2853 |
 Southeast Solomons | |
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.[1] Bugotu and Gela are two of the most conservative languages.
Languages
According to Lynch, Ross, & Crowley (2002), the structure of the family is as follows:[2]
- Bugotu–Gela–Guadalcanal family
- Longgu–Malaita–Makira family
Basic vocabulary
Basic vocabulary in many Southeast Solomonic languages is somewhat conservative, unlike Northwest Solomonic forms, many of which have no Proto-Oceanic cognates.[3] Below, Gela and Arosi are compared with three Northwest Solomonic languages. Aberrant forms are in italics.
English arm ear liver bone skin louse Proto-Oceanic *lima *taliŋa *qate *suRi *kulit *kutu Ririo karisi ŋgel tutuen punda kapat utu Zabana kame taliŋa kola huma kafu gutu Maringe lima khuli khebu knubra guli theli Gela lima kuli ate huli gui-guli gutu Arosi rima kariŋa rogo su-suri ʔuri-ʔuri kote
References
- ^ Lynch, John, Malcolm Ross & Terry Crowley. 2002. The Oceanic languages. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press.
- ^ Lynch, John; Malcolm Ross; Terry Crowley (2002). The Oceanic languages. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon. ISBN 978-0-7007-1128-4. OCLC 48929366.
- ^ Pawley, Andrew. Explaining the Aberrant Austronesian Languages of Southeast Melanesia: 150 Years of Debate. Journal of the Polynesian Society, The, Vol. 115, No. 3, Sept 2006: 215-258.
Further reading
- Tryon, Darrell T. and B. D. Hackman. 1983. Solomon Islands Languages: An Internal Classification. (Pacific Linguistics: Series C, 72.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University
