Northwest Solomonic languages explained

Northwest Solomonic
Region:	Solomon Islands
Familycolor:	Austronesian
Fam3:	Oceanic
Fam4:	Western Oceanic
Fam5:	Meso-Melanesian
Fam6:	New Ireland – Northwest Solomonic
Fam7:	St George linkage
Protoname:	Proto-Northwest Solomonic
Glotto:	nort3225
Glottorefname:	Northwest Solomonic

The family of Northwest Solomonic languages is a branch of the Oceanic languages. It includes the Austronesian languages of Bougainville and Buka in Papua New Guinea, and of Choiseul, New Georgia, and Santa Isabel (excluding Bugotu) in Solomon Islands.

The unity of Northwest Solomonic and the number and composition of its subgroups, along with its relationship to other Oceanic groups, was established in pioneering work by Malcolm Ross.^[1]

Languages

Northwest Solomonic languages group as follows:^[2]

• Nehan – North Bougainville linkage
  • Nehan (Nissan)
  • Saposa–Tinputz: Hahon, Ratsua,^[3] Saposa (Taiof)–Teop, Tinputz
  • Buka: Halia–Hakö, Petats
  • Papapana
  • Solos
• Piva–Bannoni family: Piva (Lawunuia), Bannoni
• Mono–Uruavan family: Mono-Alu, Torau, Uruava
• Choiseul linkage: Babatana (including Sisingga)–Ririo, Vaghua–Varisi
• New Georgia – Ysabel family
  • New Georgia linkage: Simbo (Simbo Island), Roviana–Kusaghe, Marovo, Hoava, Vangunu (Vangunu Island), Nduke (Kolombangara Island), Ghanongga (Ranongga Island), Lungga (Ranongga Island), Ughele (North Rendova Island)
  • Ysabel linkage: Zabana (Kia)–Laghu^†, Kokota–Zazao (Kilokaka)–Blablanga, Gao–Cheke Holo (Maringe, Hograno)

In addition, the extinct Kazukuru language was probably one of the New Georgia languages. The unclassified extinct language Tetepare might have also been one of the New Georgia languages, if it was Austronesian at all.

Basic vocabulary

Basic vocabulary in many Northwest Solomonic languages is aberrant, and many forms do not have Proto-Oceanic cognates.^[4] Below, Ririo, Zabana, and Maringe are compared with two Southeast Solomonic languages. Aberrant forms are in bold.

English	arm	ear	liver	bone	skin	louse
	Uncoded languages: *lima	Uncoded languages: *taliŋa	Uncoded languages: *qate	Uncoded languages: *suRi	Uncoded languages: *kulit	Uncoded languages: *kutu
	'''karisi'''	'''ŋgel'''	'''tutuen'''	'''punda'''	'''kapat'''	utu
	'''kame'''	taliŋa	'''kola'''	'''huma'''	'''kafu'''	gutu
	lima	'''khuli'''	'''khebu'''	'''knubra'''	guli	'''theli'''
	lima	'''kuli'''	ate	huli	gui-guli	gutu
	rima	kariŋa	'''rogo'''	su-suri	ʔuri-ʔuri	kote

References

• Book: Ross , Malcolm D. . Malcolm Ross (linguist). 1988. Proto Oceanic and the Austronesian languages of Western Melanesia. Pacific Linguistics. Canberra.

Further reading

• Bill Palmer (2005). North West Solomonic materials. University of Surrey, UK.
• Bill Palmer (2010). http://www.newcastle.edu.au/research-and-innovation/centre/education-arts/endangered-languages-documentation-theory-and-application/research. University of Newcastle, Australia.
• Tryon, Darrell T. & B. D. Hackman. 1983. Solomon Islands Languages: An Internal Classification. (Pacific Linguistics: Series C, 72.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University
  • Data set derived from Tryon & Hackman (1983): Greenhill, Simon, & Robert Forkel. (2019). lexibank/tryonsolomon: Solomon Islands Languages (Version v3.0). Zenodo.

Notes and References

1. See .
2. Book: Lynch, John . John Lynch (linguist) . Malcolm Ross . Malcolm Ross (linguist) . Terry Crowley . Terry Crowley (linguist) . 2002 . The Oceanic languages . Richmond, Surrey . Curzon . 978-0-7007-1128-4 . 48929366 .
3. distinct language per Bill Palmer
4. Pawley, Andrew. Explaining the Aberrant Austronesian Languages of Southeast Melanesia: 150 Years of Debate. Journal of the Polynesian Society, The, Vol. 115, No. 3, Sept 2006: 215-258.