Languages of the Solomon Islands archipelago

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Languages of the Solomon Islands archipelago
Central Solomons languages.svg
Language families of the Solomon Islands archipelago
Red: North Bougainville
Blue: South Bougainville
Green: Central Solomons
Grey: Austronesian
Official English
Indigenous Several languages
Vernacular Pijin, Solomon Islands English
Keyboard layout

Between 60 and 70 languages are spoken in the Solomon Islands archipelago [1] which covers a broader area than the nation state of Solomon Islands, [2] and includes the island of Bougainville, which is an autonomous province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). The lingua franca of the Solomon Islands proper is Pijin (whereas the lingua franca of Bougainville is Tok Pisin) and the official language in both countries is English.

Contents

Language families

Most of the languages in the Solomon Islands archipelago are Austronesian languages.

The Central Solomon languages such as Bilua, Lavukaleve, Savosavo and Touo constitute an independent family within the Papuan languages. [3]

Two other language families are represented on Bougainville, which forms part of the nation of Papua New Guinea but is geographically part of the archipelago.

The status of the Reefs – Santa Cruz languages were once thought to be non-Austronesian, but further research found them to be divergent Austronesian languages. [4] The neighbouring languages of Vanikoro are also heavily relexified Austronesian languages. [5]

An indigenous sign language, Rennellese Sign Language, has gone extinct.

Languages of the Solomon Islands archipelago

Language ISO 639-3 code Speakers % of total popⁿArea Family Branch
Pijin pis24,390 (lg 1)
307,000 (lg 2)		4.0689 (lg 1)

51.2162 (lg 2)

 Creole
ꞋAreꞌare alu17,8002.9695 Malaita Southeast Solomonic Oceanic
Arosi aia6,7501.1261 Makira
Baeggu bvd5,9000.9843 Malaita
Baelelea bvc8,8001.4681 Malaita
Bauro bxa3,4200.5706 Makira
Birao brr5,9000.9843 Guadalcanal
Bughotu bgt4,0480.6753 Santa Isabel
Dori'o dor2,4060.4014 Malaita
Fagani faf9020.1505 Makira
Fataleka far6,7031.1182 Malaita
Gela nlg11,8761.9813 Nggela Islands
Ghari gri12,1192.0218 Guadalcanal
Gula'alaa gmb1,5680.2616 Malaita
Kahua agw5,1700.8625 Makira
Kwaio kwd13,2492.2103 Malaita
Kwara'ae kwf32,4335.4107 Malaita
Lau llu16,9372.8256 Malaita
Lengo lgr13,7522.2942 Guadalcanal
Longgu lgu1,8940.3160 Guadalcanal
Oroha ora380.0063 Malaita
Owa stn3,0690.5120 Makira
Sa'a apb11,5191.9217 Malaita
Talise tlr12,5252.0895 Guadalcanal
Toqabaqita mlu12,5722.0974 Malaita
Wala lgl6,9781.1641 Malaita
Malango mln4,1350.6898 Guadalcanal
Gilbertese gil1,2300.2052 Gizo, Choiseul Micronesian
Tanema tnx10.0002 Vanikoro Temotu
Asubuo aua100.0017 Utupua
Amba utp5930.0989 Utupua
Äiwoo nfl8,4001.4014 Reef Islands
Lovono vnk40.0007 Vanikoro
Nanggu ngr2100.0350 Nendö
Natügu ntu4,2800.7140 Nendö
Nalögo nlz1,6200.2703 Nendö
Tanibili tbe150.0025 Utupua
Teanu tkw8000.1335 Vanikoro
Rennellese Sign Language 00.0000 Rennell and Bellona Province Home sign
Rennellese mnv3,1910.5323 Polynesian
Luangiua ojv2,3670.3949 Ontong Java
Sikaiana sky7310.1220 Sikaiana
Tikopia tkp3,3240.5545 Tikopia, Vanikoro
Vaeakau-Taumako piv1,1420.1905 Duff Is, Reef Is
Anuta aud2670.0445 Anuta Island
Lungga lga2,7670.4616 Ranongga Western Oceanic
Marovo mvo8,0941.3503 New Georgia
Mono mte3,3370.5567 Shortland Is, Treasury Is
Ririo rri790.0132 Choiseul Province
Roviana rug9,8711.6468 New Georgia
Babatana baa5,6000.9342 Choiseul Province
Blablanga blp1,7720.2956 Santa Isabel
Cheke Holo mrn10,8401.8084 Santa Isabel
Duke nke2,3120.3857 Kolombangara
Ghanongga ghn2,5080.4184 Ranongga
Hoava hoa4590.0766 New Georgia
Kazukuru kzk00.0000 New Georgia
Kokota kkk5300.0884 Santa Isabel
Kusaghe ksg2,3950.3996 New Georgia
Simbo sbb2,7010.4506 Simbo
Ughele uge1,2020.2005 Rendova Island
Vaghua tva1,9600.3270 Choiseul Province
Vangunu mpr9070.1513 Vangunu
Varisi vrs5,1610.8610 Choiseul Province
Gao gga1,2150.2027 Santa Isabel
Laghu lgb150.0025 Santa Isabel
Zabana kji3,3550.5597 Santa Isabel
Zazao jaj100.0017 Santa Isabel
Lavukaleve lvk1,7830.2975 Russell Islands Central Solomonic
Savosavo svs2,4150.4029 Savo
Touo tqu1,8740.3126 Rendova Island
Bilua blb8,7401.4581 Vella Lavella

Italics indicate that a language is extinct.

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Tryon & Hackman (1983).
  2. ↑ Ples Blong Iumi: Solomon Islands the Past Four Thousand Years, Hugh Laracy (ed.), University of the South Pacific, 1989, ISBN   982-02-0027-X
  3. ↑ Obata (2003 :1)
  4. ↑ Ross & Næss (2007).
  5. ↑ François (2009)

Sources

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