| Micronesian | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: |
Micronesia |
| Genetic classification: |
Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Micronesian |
| Subdivisions: |
Micronesian Proper
Nauru
|
The family of Micronesian languages is a branch of the Central-Eastern Oceanic languages. It consists of 20 languages, the 19 Micronesian Proper languages and Nauruan. Micronesian languages are famous for their lack of plain labial consonants; they have instead two series, palatalized and labio-velarized labials.
Components
According to a 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database,[1] the Micronesian languages group as follows:
- Nauruan
- Micronesian Proper
- Gilbertese (i-Kiribati)
- Nuclear Micronesian
The analysis gives a 75% probability that Kosraean is a primary branch of Nuclear Micronesian. Nauruan was not included in the database, but is widely considered the most divergent of the Micronesian languages.
It also showed that the Micronesian languages form a unit with the Fijian-Polynesian languages at a 70% confidence level.
References
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