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Languages of the Solomon Islands archipelago

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Language families of the (geographic) Solomon Islands
Red: North Bougainville
Blue: South Bougainville
Green: Central Solomons
Grey: Austronesian
Orange: Yele (out of area)

There are between sixty and seventy languages spoken in the Solomon Islands archipelago as opposed to the nation state of Solomon Islands, which covers a smaller area.[1] The lingua franca is Pijin, and the official language is English.

Language families

Most of the languages in the Solomon Islands are Austronesian languages. The Central Solomon languages such as Lavukaleve constitute an independent family.

Two other language families are represented on Bougainville, which is geographically part of the Solomon Islands, if not within the national boundaries.

The status of the Reefs – Santa Cruz languages were once thought to be non-Austronesian, but further research found them to be divergent Austronesian languages.[2] The neighbouring languages of Vanikoro are also heavily relexified Austronesian languages.[3]

An indigenous sign language, Rennellese Sign Language, has gone extinct.

List of the Solomon Islands languages

Language Code Speakers Region Family
Amba utp 593 Utupua Temotu
Anuta aud 267 Polynesian
'Are'are alu 17,800
Arosi aia 6,750
Asubuo aua 10 Utupua Temotu
Äiwoo nfl 8,400 Reef Islands Temotu
Babatana baa 5,600
Baeggu bvd 5,900
Baelelea bvc 8,800
Bauro bxa 3,420
Bilua blb 8,740 Papuan
Birao brr 5,900
Blablanga blp 1,772
Bughotu bgt 4,048
Cheke Holo mrn 10,840
Dori'o dor 2,406
Dororo drr 0
Duke nke 2,312
Fagani faf 902
Fataleka far 6,703
Gao gga 1,215
Gela nlg 11,876
Ghanongga ghn 2,508
Ghari gri 12,119
Gilbertese gil 1,230 Gizo, Choiseul Micronesian
Gula'alaa gmb 1,568
Guliguli gli 0
Hoava hoa 459
Kahua agw 5,170
Kazukuru kzk 0
Kokota kkk 530
Kusaghe ksg 2,395
Kwaio kwd 13,249
Kwara'ae kwf 32,433
Laghu lgb 15
Lau llu 16,937
Lavukaleve lvk 1,783 Papuan
Lengo lgr 13,752
Longgu lgu 1,894
Lovono vnk 4 Vanikoro Temotu
Luangiua ojv 2,367 Ontong Java Polynesian
Lungga lga 2,767
Malango mln 4,135
Marovo mvo 8,094
Mono mte 3,337
Nanggu ngr 210 Nendö Temotu
Natügu ntu 4,280 Nendö Temotu
Nalögo nlz 1,620 Nendö Temotu
Oroha ora 38
Owa stn 3,069
Pijin pis 24,390 (lg 1)
307,000 (lg 2)		 creole
Rennellese mnv 3,191 Polynesian
Rennellese Sign Language rsi 1
Ririo rri 79
Roviana rug 9,871
Sa'a apb 11,519
Savosavo svs 2,415 Savo Papuan
Sikaiana sky 731 Polynesian
Simbo sbb 2,701
Talise tlr 12,525
Tanema tnx 1 Vanikoro Temotu
Tanibili tbe 15 Utupua Temotu
Teanu tkw 800 Vanikoro Temotu
Tikopia tkp 3,324 Tikopia, Vanikoro Polynesian
Toqabaqita mlu 12,572
Touo tqu 1,874 Papuan
Ughele uge 1,202
Vaeakau-Taumako piv 1,142 Polynesian
Vaghua tva 1,960
Vangunu mpr 907
Varisi vrs 5,161
Wala lgl 6,978
Zabana kji 3,355
Zazao jaj 10

Notes

  1. ^ Ples Blong Iumi: Solomon Islands the Past Four Thousand Years, Hugh Laracy (ed.), University of the South Pacific, 1989, ISBN 982-02-0027-X
  2. ^ Ross & Næss (2007)
  3. ^ François (2009)
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