North Vanuatu languages

The North Vanuatu languages form a linkage of Southern Oceanic languages spoken in northern Vanuatu.

Languages

Clark (2009)

Clark (2009)^[1] provides the following classification of the North Vanuatu languages, divided into two main geographic areas (Torres–Banks–Maewo–Ambae–Pentecost and Santo). Outlier (aberrant) languages identified by Clark (2009) are in italics.^[2]

• North Vanuatu
  • Northern (Torres–Banks–Maewo–Ambae–Pentecost)
    • Torres–Banks languages
      • Torres Islands: Hiw, Lo-Toga (“Loh”)
      • Banks Islands: Lehali–Löyöp (“Ureparapara”), Mwotlap–Volow (“Mwotlav”), Lemerig–Vera’a (“Vera'a”), Vurës–Mwesen (“Vurës”), Mota, Nume, Dorig–Koro–Olrat (“South Gaua”), Lakon (“Lakona”), Mwerlap (“Merlav”)
    • Maewo–Ambae–North Pentecost
      • Maewo: Sun̄wadia, Sun̄wadaga, Baetora
      • Ambae: Duidui, Northeast Ambae
      • North Pentecost: Raga
    • South Pentecost: Ske (“Seke”); Apma, Sa
  • Espiritu Santo languages
    • Cape Cumberland (Nokuku); Tolomako
    • Wusi, Akei–Tasiriki–Tangoa–Araki (“SW Santo”), Tiale–Merei (“Central Santo”), Kiai, “South-central Santo”, M̈av̈ea (“Mafea”), Tutuba, Aore, Tamambo (“Tamabo”); Mores
    • Southeast Santo, Shark Bay; Sakao

François (2015)

The following list of 9 "Penama" North Vanuatu languages (that is, the North Vanuatu languages excluding the Torres–Banks and Espiritu Santo languages) is from François (2015:18-21).

References

• François, Alexandre; Franjieh, Michael; Lacrampe, Sébastien; Schnell, Stefan (2015), "The exceptional linguistic density of Vanuatu" (PDF), in François, Alexandre; Lacrampe, Sébastien; Franjieh, Michael; Schnell, Stefan (eds.), The Languages of Vanuatu: Unity and Diversity, Studies in the Languages of Island Melanesia, Canberra: Asia Pacific Linguistics Open Access, pp. 1–21, ISBN 9781922185235.