- New Ireland languages
-
New Ireland (reduced) Geographic
distribution:New Ireland Linguistic classification: Austronesian - Malayo-Polynesian
- Oceanic
- Meso-Melanesian ?
- Core Meso-Melanesian
- New Ireland
- Core Meso-Melanesian
- Meso-Melanesian ?
- Oceanic
Subdivisions: —The New Ireland languages are a group of the Meso-Melanesian languages. They are largely spoken on the island of New Ireland in Papua New Guinea.
Composition
A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database[1] removed the Northwest Solomonic and Nehan–Bougainville languages from the traditional New Ireland family, but fully supported the unity of the remainder of the languages that were considered. These are:
- Lavongai–Nalik languages
- Mandara (Tabar)
- Patpatar–Tolai languages
Madara is conventionally included within Lavongai–Nalik, but the 2008 analysis only supported this classification at a 60% confidence level.
Not considered in the 2008 analysis were the following traditional branches:
- Madak languages (Barok, Lavatbura-Lamusong, Madak)
- Tabar languages (Lihir, Notsi)
- Tomoip
References
Categories:- Languages of Papua New Guinea
- Languages of the Solomon Islands
- Meso Melanesian languages
- Austronesian language stubs
- Malayo-Polynesian
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