Oceanic languages
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{{Infobox Language family
|name=Oceanic
|region=[[Melanesia]], [[Micronesia]], [[Polynesia]]
|familycolor=Austronesian
|fam2=[[Malayo-Polynesian languages|Malayo-Polynesian]] (MP)
|fam3=[[Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian languages|Nuclear MP]]
|fam4=[[Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages|Central-Eastern MP]]
|fam5=[[Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages|Eastern MP]]
|child1=[[St. Matthias languages|St Matthias]]
|child2=[[Yapese language|Yapese]]
|child3=[[Admiralty Island languages|Admiralties Family]]
|child4=[[Western Oceanic languages|Western Oceanic Linkage]]
|child5=[[Central-Eastern Oceanic languages|Central-Eastern Oceanic]]
|}}
The '''Oceanic languages''' are a subgroup of the [[Austronesian languages]], containing approximately 450 languages. The area occupied by speakers of these languages includes [[Polynesia]] as well as much of [[Melanesia]] and [[Micronesia]].
Despite covering such a vast area, Oceanic languages are spoken by less than two million people. The largest individual Oceanic languages are [[Samoan language|Samoan]] and [[Fijian language|Eastern Fijian]], with over 300,000 speakers. [[Gilbertese|Kiribati]] (Gilbertese), [[Tongan language|Tongan]], and perhaps [[Kuanua language|Kuanua]] (Tolai) have 100,000 speakers apiece.
The [[protolanguage|common ancestor]] which is reconstructed for this group of languages is called '''[[Proto Oceanic]]''' (abbr. ''POc'').
==Classification==
*[[St. Matthias languages|St Matthias]]
*''[[Yapese language|Yapese]]'' <ref>Yapese may in fact be an [[Admiralty Island languages|Admiralty Islands]] language.</ref>
*[[Admiralty Island languages|Admiralties]]
**[[Western Admiralty Island languages|Western Admiralties]]
**[[Eastern Admiralty Island languages|Eastern Admiralties]]
*[[Western Oceanic languages|Western Oceanic linkage]] (languages of the north coast of New Guinea, from [[Jayapura]] to the [[Solomon Islands]])
**[[Sarmi-Jayapura Bay languages|Sarmi-Jayapura Bay]]
**[[North New Guinea languages|North New Guinea cluster]]
**[[Papuan Tip languages|Papuan Tip cluster]]
**[[Meso-Melanesian languages|Meso-Melanesian cluster]] (languages of the [[Bismarck Archipelago]] and [[Solomon Islands]])
*[[Temotu languages|Temotu]] <ref>This subgroup was identified by Ross and Næss (2007). Note that its internal structure is still tentative.</ref>
**[[Reef Islands-Santa Cruz languages|Reef Islands-Santa Cruz]] <ref>These were previously argued to be [[Papuan languages|Papuan]] (that is, non-[[Austronesian languages|Austronesian]]) languages.</ref>
**[[Utupua-Vanikoro languages|Utupua-Vanikoro]] <ref>This group may in fact be two branches, [[Utupua languages|Utupua]] and [[Vanikoro languages|Vanikoro]]; Utupua-Vanikoro was previously classified with [[Central-Eastern Oceanic languages|Central-Eastern Oceanic]].</ref>
*[[Central-Eastern Oceanic languages|Central-Eastern Oceanic]] (languages of the open [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]])
**[[Southeast Solomonic languages|Southeast Solomons]]
**[[Southern Oceanic languages|Southern Oceanic linkage]] (languages of [[New Caledonia]] and [[Vanuatu]])
**[[Central Pacific languages|Central Pacific linkage]] ([[Polynesian languages|Polynesian]] and the languages of [[Fiji]])
**[[Micronesian languages|Micronesian]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
== References ==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book | last = Lynch | first = John | authorlink = John Lynch (linguist) | coauthors = [[Malcolm Ross]]; [[Terry Crowley (linguist)|Terry Crowley]] | year = 2002 | title = The Oceanic languages | location = Richmond, Surrey | publisher = Curzon | isbn = 9780700711284 | oclc = 48929366 }}
*{{cite journal
| author= [[Malcolm Ross|Ross, Malcolm]] and Åshild Næss
| title= An Oceanic Origin for Äiwoo, the Language of the Reef Islands?
| journal= Oceanic Linguistics
| year= 2007
| volume= 46
| pages= 456–498
}}
{{Refend}}
[[Category:Oceanic languages| ]]
[[Category:Languages of Oceania]]
[[de:Ozeanische Sprachen]]
[[es:Lenguas oceánicas]]
[[fr:Langues océaniennes]]
[[id:Bahasa Oseania]]
[[oc:Lengas oceanianas]]
[[pl:Języki oceaniczne]]
[[pt:Línguas oceânicas]]
[[ru:Океанийские языки]]
[[fi:Oseanialaiset kielet]]