Malakula languages explained

Malakula
Also Known As:	Malekula
Region:	Malakula Island in central Vanuatu
Familycolor:	Austronesian
Fam3:	Oceanic
Fam4:	Southern Oceanic
Fam5:	North-Central Vanuatu
Fam6:	Central Vanuatu
Protoname:	Proto-Malakula
Glotto:	mala1539
Glottorefname:	Malakula

The Malakula languages are a group of Central Vanuatu languages spoken on Malakula Island in central Vanuatu. Unlike some earlier classifications, linguist and Oceanic languages specialist John Lynch (2016) considered the Malakula languages to form a coherent group.

Features

One distinctive feature of the Malakula languages is the pervasive loss of unstressed syllables. However, according to Lynch (2014), the innovation occurred after Proto-Malakula broke up, and may have occurred on at least seven different independent occasions.^[1]

Classification

Lynch (2016) divides the Malakula languages into three primary subgroups, namely Northern, Eastern, and Western, all three of which are linkages. Lynch (2016) recognizes 32 languages.^[2]

Malakula
- Northern
  - Malua Bay
  - North Coast
    - Nese
    - Botovro
    - Vovo, Vao
- Eastern
  - Uripiv
  - Unua
  - Aulua
  - Banam Bay
  - Southeastern
    - Bwenelang
    - Nasvang, Nisvai
    - Port Sandwich, Avok, Axamb
    - Maskelynes
- Western
  - Central Western
    - Neve'ei
    - Larëvat
    - Naman
  - Peripheral Western
    - Ninde
    - Nāti
    - Northwestern
      - V'ënen Taut
      - Tape
      - Tirax
    - Southwestern
      - Lendamboi
      - Aveteian
      - Navwien
      - Avava
      - Nasarian
      - Naha'ai, Nahavaq

The Central-Western linkage is only very weakly defined, while Ninde and Nāti have similarities with both the Northwestern and Southwestern linkages.

The positions of the Sörsörian, Rerep, Vivti, and Nitita languages were not addressed.

Languages

François (2015:18-21) lists the following 42 Malakula languages.

No.	Language	Speakers	ISO 639-3
65		750	ahb
66		800	nms
67		275
68		3
69		500
70		1100	klv, Maskelynes
71		1200	psw
72		200
73		900	vrt
74		<10
75		750	aul
76		90	rpn
77		380	pgk
78		520	onu
79		<5
80		<5
81		700	tmb
82		1250	lgk
83		15	lzl
84		9000	upv, Atchin, Uripiv
85		?
86		430	mvt
87		1900	vao, Vao
88		?
89	Vovo	475
90		160
91		<5
92		500	mll
93		10
94		1000	mme
95		3350	nmb
96		15	mrs
97		680	lrv
98		500	vnm
99		<10
100		5	nvh
101		50	dix
102		1100	mwi
103		700	sns
104		25
105		600	mlx
106		5

Vocabulary comparison

Numbers

English	Bislama	Aulua	Axamb	Big Nambas	Maskelynes	Neverver	Ninde	Tirax	Uripiv	Vao
one	wan	bokol	ngajhay ngajkenene	isët, iamëk	esua	iskham	sei	haxal	ites	xete
two	tu	e nrua	ngaru	iru	eru	iru	khuwo	iru	eru	xeru
three	tri	e ntil	ngarür	itl	itor	itl	tël	itil	itul	xetol
four	fo	e mbis	ngavaj	iv'a	ivat	ivas	wes	ivat	ivij	xevat
five	faef	elima	ngarëm	ilëm'	erim	ilim	selme	ilin	ilim	xelime
six	sikis	ro bokol	ngarëm rahjkay	ilëmsei	emëlevtes	ijos	dumane sei	ixɔwɛn	owon	xeyon
seven	seven	roku rua	ngarëm rahru	isaru	emëlevru	ijoru	dumane khuwo	iwedit	ebœt	xebüt
eight	eit	rok til	ngarëm rahrür	isatl	emëlevtor	ijotl	dumane tël	ixewɛl	owil	xoal
nine	naen	rokbis	ngarëm rahpaj	isav'et	emëlevpat	ijovas	dumane wes	ixesiv	esiw	xehive
ten	ten	sagabul	ngasngavur	sënal, inal	saŋavur	nangavul	langal, thangal	ihŋavil	esŋawœl	hangavul

Other basic words

English	Bislama	Aulua	Axamb	Big Nambas	Maskelynes	Neverver	Ninde	Tirax	Uripiv	Vao
water	wota	nave	nuwoi	nauei tarah (taboo synonym)	nëwai	nio	nowoi	nua/nue	nua	?
woman	wuman	momo	napnevër	tav'et	pëhaṽut	vin	watawox	vinadr	leter	?
child	pikinini	netina	tete	mardel	tëtai	niterikh	?	ntɛbih	tipis	?
child (of someone)	pikinini	netina	narën	nat	natu	niterikh	netnowox	net	natu	?

External links

List and map of Malekula languages (A.N.U., 1995)
Map of Vanuatu languages including Malekula
Updated map of Malekula languages (MPI-SHH – Jena, 2018) – see presentation.

Notes and References

Unexpected Final Vowel Retention in Malakula . John . Lynch . John Lynch (linguist) . Open Linguistics 2014 . 1 . July 2014 . 1-16 . De Gruyter Open . 10.2478/opli-2014-0001 . free .
Malakula Internal Subgrouping: Phonological Evidence . John . Lynch . John Lynch (linguist) . Oceanic Linguistics . 55 . 2 . December 2016 . 399–431 . University of Hawai'i Press . 10.1353/ol.2016.0019 . 152170547 .