List of major and official Austronesian languages

This is a list of major and official Austronesian languages, a language family originating from Taiwan, that is widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia and Madagascar.

Map showing the distribution of language families; the pink color shows where Austronesian languages are spoken.

Official languages

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Sovereign states

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Language Speakers Native name Official status
Fijian 639,210 Na Vosa Vakaviti   Fiji
Filipino 100,000,000 (L1 & L2)
20,000,000 (L1)
80,000,000 (L2)
Wikang Filipino   Philippines
Gilbertese 120,000 Taetae ni Kiribati   Kiribati
Hiri Motu 120,000 (L2) Hiri Motu   Papua New Guinea
Indonesian 300,000,000 Bahasa Indonesia   Indonesia
Malay 35,000,000 Bahasa Melayu/بهاس ملايو   Brunei
  Indonesia[a]
  Malaysia[b]
  Singapore
Malagasy 18,000,000 Fiteny Malagasy   Madagascar
Māori 150,000 Te Reo Māori   New Zealand
Marshallese 55,000 Kajin M̧ajeļ   Marshall Islands
Nauruan 6,000 Dorerin Naoero   Nauru
Palauan 15,000 Tekoi er a Belau   Palau
Samoan 510,000 Gagana Sāmoa   Samoa
Tetum 800,000 Lia-Tetun   East Timor
  Indonesia[c]
Tongan 108,000 Lea Faka-Tonga   Tonga
Tuvaluan 13,000 Te Ggana/Gagana Tuuvalu   Tuvalu
  1. ^ apart from the national standard Indonesian language, Malay has the status of a regional language in the regions of Sumatra and Kalimantan
  2. ^ In Malaysia, the Malaysian version of Malay is the language spoken in Malaysia as Bahasa Malaysia (Malaysian language)
  3. ^ apart from the national standard Indonesian language, Tetum has the status of a regional language in Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara

Territories

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Language Speakers Native name Official status Country
Carolinian 5,700 Refaluwasch   Northern Mariana Islands   United States
Chamorro 95,000 Fino' CHamoru   Guam
  Northern Mariana Islands
  United States
Cook Islands Māori 14,000 Māori Kūki 'Āirani
Te Reo Ipukarea
  Cook Islands   New Zealand
Hawaiian 24,000 ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi   Hawaii   United States
Javanese 100,000,000 approx.(~3,000,000 in the Special Region of Yogyakarta) Basa Jawa   Yogyakarta
  Central Java
  East Java
  Indonesia
  Suriname[a][1]
  Sri Lanka[b][2]
  New Caledonia[c][3]
Kanak   New Caledonia   France
Niuean 8,000 Ko e Vagahau Niuē   Niue   New Zealand
Rapa Nui 5,000 Vananga Rapa Nui   Easter Island   Chile
Samoan 55,000 Gagana Sāmoa   American Samoa   United States
Sonsorolese 600 Ramari Dongosaro   Sonsorol   Palau
Tahitian 120,000 Reo Mā'ohi/Tahiti   French Polynesia   France
Tobian 100 Ramarih Hatohobei   Hatohobei   Palau
Tokelauan 3,500 Gagana Tokelau   Tokelau   New Zealand
  1. ^ Javanese is also spoken by traditional immigrant communities of Javanese descent
  2. ^ Javanese is also spoken by traditional immigrant communities of Javanese descent
  3. ^ Javanese is also spoken by traditional immigrant communities of Javanese descent

Major languages

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Languages with at least 3 million native speakers

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Dialects and creoles

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Dialects of major Austronesian languages

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Creoles and pidgins based on Austronesian languages

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Akhyari Hananto (December 8, 2017). "121 Years of Javanese People in New Caledonia". Seasia: Good News from Southeast Asia.
  2. ^ Akhyari Hananto (December 8, 2017). "121 Years of Javanese People in New Caledonia". Seasia: Good News from Southeast Asia.
  3. ^ Akhyari Hananto (December 8, 2017). "121 Years of Javanese People in New Caledonia". Seasia: Good News from Southeast Asia.