Meso-Melanesian languages

Meso-Melanesian
Geographic; distribution	Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands
Linguistic classification	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Western Oceanic Meso-Melanesian; ; ; ;
Glottolog	meso1253[1]

The Meso-Melanesian languages are a linkage of Oceanic languages spoken in the large Melanesian islands of New Ireland and the Solomon Islands east of New Guinea.

Composition

The languages of New Ireland are part of the Meso-Melanesian linkage.

The languages group as follows:[2]

Willaumez linkage: Bola, Bulu, Meramera, Nakanai
Bali–Vitu: Bali (Uneapa), Vitu (Muduapa) [may be a single language]
New Ireland – Northwest Solomonic linkage
- Tungag–Nalik family: Tigak, Tungag, Nalik, Laxudumau, Kara, Tiang
- Tabar linkage: Madara (Tabar), Lihir, Notsi
- Madak linkage: Barok, Lavatbura-Lamusong, Madak
- Tomoip
- St George linkage
  - Niwer Mil
  - Warwar Feni
  - Fanamaket
  - Sursurunga
  - Konomala
  - Patpatar–Tolai: Patpatar, Lungalunga (Minigir), Tolai (Kuanua)
  - Label–Bilur: Label, Bilur
  - Kandas–Ramoaaina: Kandas, Ramoaaina
  - Siar
  - Northwest Solomonic linkage

Ethnologue adds Guramalum to the St George linkage.

The Willaumez Peninsula on the north coast of New Britain was evidently the center of dispersal.

Language contact

Lenition in Lamasong, Madak, Barok, Nalik, and Kara may have diffused via influence from Kuot, the only non-Austronesian language spoken on New Ireland (Ross 1994: 566).[3]

References

Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Meso Melanesian linkage". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
Lynch, John; Malcolm Ross; Terry Crowley (2002). The Oceanic languages. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon. ISBN 9780700711284. OCLC 48929366.
Ross, Malcolm. 1994. Areal phonological features in north central New Ireland. In: Dutton and Tryon (eds.) Language contact and change in the Austronesian world, 551–572. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

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[Glottolog-1] Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin, eds. (2017). "Meso Melanesian linkage". Glottolog 3.0. Jena, Germany: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.

[2] Lynch, John; Malcolm Ross; Terry Crowley (2002). The Oceanic languages. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon. ISBN 9780700711284. OCLC 48929366.

[3] Ross, Malcolm. 1994. Areal phonological features in north central New Ireland. In: Dutton and Tryon (eds.) Language contact and change in the Austronesian world, 551–572. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.