Ngero–Vitiaz languages

Ngero–Vitiaz
Geographic distribution:	Northern New Guinea
Linguistic classification:	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Western Oceanic North New Guinea ? Ngero–Vitiaz
Subdivisions:	—

The Ngero–Vitiaz languages form a group of Austronesian languages in northern Papua New Guinea. They may be a synonym with the North New Guinea languages.

Components

A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database^[1] supported the Ngero–Vitiaz languages—including at least Numbami of the Huon Gulf languages—with 85% confidence. However, it did not support the traditional branch of Vitiaz.

• Southwest New Britain languages
• Maleu
• Ngero languages
• Numbami (and perhaps all of Huon Gulf)
• Bel languages

The 2008 study linked Kove of the Ngero languages to Maleu with 60% confidence; that branch to Numbami of the Huon Gulf languages with 70% confidence; and the resulting branch to Southwest New Britain with 55% confidence. The connection of all these languages as a group, regardless of their internal relationship, to (Nuclear) Bel was put at 85% confidence.

Not included in the analysis were languages from the following groups:

• Korap languages
• Mangap-Mbula
• Mengen languages
• Roinji–Nenaya languages
• Sio
• Tami

References

1. ^ Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database

• Ethnologue report for Ngero–Vitiaz