North Vanuatu languages

North Vanuatu
Northern Vanuatu
Geographic distribution	Northern Vanuatu
Linguistic classification	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Southern Oceanic North Vanuatu
Language codes
Glottolog	nort3205

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

Languages

Clark (2009)

Clark (2009) 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.

• 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).

No.	Language	Other names	Speakers	Ethnologue	ISO 639-3	Region
18	Sungwadia	Marino, North Maewo	500	mrb	mrb	Maewo
19	Sungwadaga	Central Maewo	1400	mwo	mwo	Maewo
20	Baetora	South Maewo, Sungaloge	1330	btr	btr	Maewo
21	East Ambae	Lolovoli, Aoba	5000	omb	omb	Ambae
22	West Ambae	Duidui	8700	nnd	nnd	Ambae
23	Raga	Hano	6500	lml	lml	Pentecost
24	Apma		7800	app	app	Pentecost
25	Ske	Seke	300	ske	ske	Pentecost
26	Sa	Saa	3900	sax	sax	Pentecost

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.