Piru Bay languages explained

Piru Bay
Region:	Ambon and Seram, Indonesia
Familycolor:	Austronesian
Fam2:	Malayo-Polynesian (MP)
Fam3:	Central-Eastern MP
Fam4:	Central Maluku ?
Fam5:	East Central Maluku
Fam6:	Seram ?
Fam7:	Nunusaku
Glotto:	piru1243
Glottorefname:	Piru Bay

The Piru Bay languages are a group of twenty Malayo-Polynesian languages, spoken on Ambon Island and around Piru Bay on the island of Seram, Indonesia. None of the languages have more than about twenty thousand speakers, and several are endangered with extinction.

Classification

The languages are as follows:^{[1] [2]}

• Piru Bay
  • West Piru Bay (Seram and Ambon islands)
    • Asilulu
    • Hoamoal: Luhu (Piru), Manipa; Larike-Wakasihu, Boano
  • East Piru Bay
    • Sepa, Teluti
    • Solehua
      • Paulohi
      • Seram Straits
        • Kaibobo
        • Ambon: Hitu, Tulehu; Laha, Seit-Kaitetu
        • Uliase (Lease Islands)
          • Kamarian
          • Hatuhaha
            • Haruku
            • Saparuan
              • Elpaputi: Amahai, Nusa Laut
              • Saparua: Saparua, Latu

Many of the Piru Bay languages form a dialect continuum. The Ambon branch should not to be confused with more distantly related Ambonese Malay, which is also often simply known as Ambonese.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hammarström. Harald. Forke. Robert. Haspelmath. Martin. Bank. Sebastian. 2020. Piru Bay. Glottolog 4.3.
2. James T. Collins. 1983. The historical relationships of the languages of Central Maluku, Indonesia. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. (Pacific Linguistics: Series D-47.)