Central Vanuatu languages explained

Central Vanuatu
Region:	Vanuatu
Familycolor:	Austronesian
Fam3:	Oceanic
Fam4:	Southern Oceanic
Glotto:	cent2269
Glottorefname:	Central Vanuatu

The Central Vanuatu languages form a linkage of Southern Oceanic languages spoken in central Vanuatu.

Languages

Clark (2009)

Clark (2009) provides the following classification of the Central Vanuatu languages, divided into geographic areas.^[1] Outlier (aberrant) languages identified by Clark (2009) are in italics. Clark's Central Vanuatu branch is wider in scope, including not only the Shepherd–Efate languages, but also the Malakula and Ambrym–Paama–Epi languages.

Central Vanuatu
- Malakula languages
  - Northeast Malakula (Uripiv), Vao, Vovo; Mpotovoro
  - Dirak, Malua Bay
  - V’ënen Taut, Tape
  - Larevat, Neve’ei, Naman
  - Navava, Nevwervwer
  - Unua-Pangkumu
  - Banam Bay, Aulua
  - Lendamboi

Nasarian

- - Axamb, Avok, Maskelynes, Port Sandwich
  - Sinesip, Naha’ai; Ninde
- Ambrym–Paama–Epi area
  - Ambrym Island

North Ambrym, West Ambrym, South Ambrym

- - Paama Island

Southeast Ambrym, Paamese

- - Epi Island

Lewo, Lamen, Bierebo, Baki

- - Epi Island

Mkir, Bieria

- Shepherd–Efate area
  - Shepherd Islands

Nakanamanga (Nguna); Namakir

- - Efate Island

South Efate

François et al. (2015)

The following list of 19 Central Vanuatu languages (excluding the Malakula languages) is from François et al. (2015:18–21).

No.	Speakers	Region
107	5250	Ambrym
108	30	Ambrym
109	3700	Ambrym
110	1300	Ambrym
111	1200	Ambrym
112	1000	Ambrym
113	<10	Ambrym
114	6000	Paama
115	850	Epi, Lamen
116	2200	Epi
117	900	Epi
118	350	Epi
119	180	Epi
120	25	Epi
121	3750	Efate, Shepherd Islands (Tongoa, Tongariki)
123	9500	Efate, Shepherd Islands (Nguna, Tongoa)
124	400	Efate, Lelepa
125	500	Efate
126	6000	Efate

Additionally, the extinct Sowa language was formerly spoken in central Vanuatu.

References

Book: Clark, Ross . 2009 . Leo Tuai: A comparative lexical study of North and Central Vanuatu languages . Canberra . Pacific Linguistics.