Languages of the Solomon Islands archipelago

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

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
LanguageCodeSpeakers % of the total populationRegionFamily
Ambautp593 0.0989UtupuaTemotu
Anutaaud267 0.0445Anuta IslandPolynesian
'Are'arealu17,800 2.9695MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Arosiaia6,750 1.1261MakiraSoutheast Solomonic
Asubuoaua10 0.0017UtupuaTemotu
Äiwoonfl8,400 1.4014Reef IslandsTemotu
Babatanabaa5,600 0.9342Choiseul ProvinceWestern Oceanic
Baeggubvd5,900 0.9843MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Baeleleabvc8,800 1.4681MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Baurobxa3,420 0.5706MakiraSoutheast Solomonic
Biluablb8,740 1.4581Vella LavellaCentral Solomonic
Biraobrr5,900 0.9843GuadalcanalSoutheast Solomonic
Blablangablp1,772 0.2956Santa Isabel IslandWestern Oceanic
Bughotubgt4,048 0.6753Santa Isabel IslandSoutheast Solomonic
Cheke Holomrn10,840 1.8084Santa Isabel IslandWestern Oceanic
Dori'odor2,406 0.4014MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Dororodrr 0.0000New GeorgiaWestern Oceanic
Dukenke2,312 0.3857KolombangaraWestern Oceanic
Faganifaf902 0.1505MakiraSoutheast Solomonic
Fatalekafar6,703 1.1182MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Gaogga1,215 0.2027Santa Isabel IslandWestern Oceanic
Gelanlg11,876 1.9813Southeast Solomonic
Ghanonggaghn2,508 0.4184RanonggaWestern Oceanic
Gharigri12,119 2.0218GuadalcanalSoutheast Solomonic
Gilbertesegil1,230 0.2052Gizo, ChoiseulMicronesian
Gula'alaagmb1,568 0.2616MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Guliguligli 0.0000New GeorgiaWestern Oceanic
Hoavahoa459 0.0766New GeorgiaWestern Oceanic
Kahuaagw5,170 0.8625MakiraSoutheast Solomonic
Kazukurukzk 0.0000New GeorgiaWestern Oceanic
Kokotakkk530 0.0884Santa Isabel IslandWestern Oceanic
Kusagheksg2,395 0.3996New GeorgiaWestern Oceanic
Kwaiokwd13,249 2.2103MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Kwara'aekwf32,433 5.4107MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Laghulgb15 0.0025Santa Isabel IslandWestern Oceanic
Laullu16,937 2.8256MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Lavukalevelvk1,783 0.2975Russell IslandsCentral Solomonic
Lengolgr13,752 2.2942GuadalcanalSoutheast Solomonic
Longgulgu1,894 0.3160GuadalcanalSoutheast Solomonic
Lovonovnk4 0.0007VanikoroTemotu
Luangiuaojv2,367 0.3949Ontong JavaPolynesian
Lunggalga2,767 0.4616Western Oceanic
Malangomln4,135 0.6898GuadalcanalSoutheast Solomonic
Marovomvo8,094 1.3503New GeorgiaWestern Oceanic
Monomte3,337 0.5567Western Oceanic
Nanggungr210 0.0350NendöTemotu
Natüguntu4,280 0.7140NendöTemotu
Nalögonlz1,620 0.2703NendöTemotu
Orohaora38 0.0063MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Owastn3,069 0.5120MakiraSoutheast Solomonic
Pijinpis24,390 (lg 1)
307,000 (lg 2)		 4.0689 (lg 1)

51.2162 (lg 2)

 Creole
Rennellesemnv3,191 0.5323Rennell and Bellona ProvincePolynesian
Rennellese Sign Languagersi1 0.0002
Ririorri79 0.0132Choiseul ProvinceWestern Oceanic
Rovianarug9,871 1.6468New GeorgiaWestern Oceanic
Sa'aapb11,519 1.9217MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Savosavosvs2,415 0.4029SavoCentral Solomonic
Sikaianasky731 0.1220SikaianaPolynesian
Simbosbb2,701 0.4506Western Oceanic
Talisetlr12,525 2.0895GuadalcanalSoutheast Solomonic
Tanematnx1 0.0002VanikoroTemotu
Tanibilitbe15 0.0025UtupuaTemotu
Teanutkw800 0.1335VanikoroTemotu
Tikopiatkp3,324 0.5545Tikopia, VanikoroPolynesian
Toqabaqitamlu12,572 2.0974MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Touotqu1,874 0.3126Rendova IslandCentral Solomonic
Ugheleuge1,202 0.2005Rendova IslandWestern Oceanic
Vaeakau-Taumakopiv1,142 0.1905Polynesian
Vaghuatva1,960 0.3270Choiseul ProvinceWestern Oceanic
Vangunumpr907 0.1513VangunuWestern Oceanic
Varisivrs5,161 0.8610Choiseul ProvinceWestern Oceanic
Walalgl6,978 1.1641MalaitaSoutheast Solomonic
Zabanakji3,355 0.5597Santa Isabel IslandWestern Oceanic
Zazaojaj10 0.0017Santa Isabel IslandWestern Oceanic

Italics indicate that a language is extinct.

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)

Further reading
  • Simon J Greenhill, & Robert Forkel. (2019). lexibank/tryonsolomon: Solomon Islands Languages (Version v3.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.3535809
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