Micronesian languages

Micronesian
Geographic distribution:	Micronesia
Linguistic classification:	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Oceanic Central–Eastern Micronesian
Subdivisions:	Micronesian Proper Nauruan
Ethnologue code:	17-1626
Micronesian

The family of Micronesian languages is a branch of the Oceanic languages. It consists of twenty languages, the nineteen Micronesian Proper languages and Nauruan. Micronesian languages are known for their lack of plain labial consonants; they have instead two series, palatalized and labio-velarized labials.

Components

According to Jackson 1983, 1986, the languages group as follows:

• Nauruan
• Nuclear Micronesian
  • Kosraean
  • Central Micronesian
    • Kiribati
    • Western Micronesian
      • Marshallese
      • Chuukic–Ponapeic

According to a 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database, the Micronesian languages group as follows:

• Nauruan
• Micronesian Proper
  • Gilbertese (i-Kiribati)
  • Nuclear Micronesian
    • Kosraean
    • Ponapeic languages
    • Marshallese
    • Trukic languages

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.

External links

• Micronesian Comparative Dictionary