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Language Family

Oceanic

New Guinea and Pacific Language Families

The Oceanic languages are a branch of the Austronesian languages comprising some 450 languages spoken across Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia, though the branch is estimated to have only two million native speakers in total. Its largest individual languages are Eastern Fijian, with over 600,000 speakers, and Samoan, with an estimated 400,000; Gilbertese, Tongan, Tahitian, Maori and Tolai each have over 100,000 speakers. The reconstructed common ancestor of the group is called Proto-Oceanic.

Facts
Region
Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia 1
Speaker Count
2,000,000 1
Proto-Language Status
Reconstructed; the common ancestor of the Oceanic languages is called Proto-Oceanic. 1
In the Other Atlases

Includes

Hawaiian

Also in Divinity Atlas: included in this subject.

Maori

Also in Divinity Atlas: included in this subject.

Polynesians

Also in Divinity Atlas: included in this subject.

Trobriand Islanders

Also in Divinity Atlas: included in this subject.

Found In

Melanesia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Oceanic languages, WikipediaLead sentence 1
Quote, Lead sentence 1
The Oceanic languages are a branch of the Austronesian languages comprising some 450 languages spoken in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.
Micronesia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Oceanic languages, WikipediaLead sentence 1
Quote, Lead sentence 1
The Oceanic languages are a branch of the Austronesian languages comprising some 450 languages spoken in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.
Polynesia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Oceanic languages, WikipediaLead sentence 1
Quote, Lead sentence 1
The Oceanic languages are a branch of the Austronesian languages comprising some 450 languages spoken in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.
Sources
1. Oceanic languages, Wikipedia
  • Introduction, sentence 1
    comprising some 450 languages spoken in Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia
  • Introduction, sentence 1, clause 2
    estimated to have only two million native speakers
  • Introduction, sentence 3
    The common ancestor which is reconstructed for this group of languages is called Proto-Oceanic
View the Source
Wikidata: Oceanic
Wikidata Q324457, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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