| Malua Bay | |
|---|---|
| Middle Nambas | |
| Native to | Vanuatu |
| Region | Malekula |
| Ethnicity | 720 (2001) [1] |
Native speakers | 500 (2009) [1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | mll |
| Glottolog | malu1245 |
| ELP | Malua Bay |
 Malua Bay is not endangered according to the classification system of the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Malua Bay (also called Middle Nambas) is an Oceanic language spoken in northwest Malekula, Vanuatu. It has two main dialects: one spoken in Malua Bay and the other spoken in Espiegles Bay.
Malua, as an Oceanic language, belongs to the Austronesian language family. Furthermore, it belongs to the Malekula grouping within the Central Vanuatu subgroup, along with Nese, Botovro, Vovo, Vao, and others. [2]
Malua is mainly spoken in Malua and Espiegles Bay, with a small amount of speakers in Port Vila. The majority of speakers are bilingual in Bislama, English, or French. [3]
Malua contains a distinction between alienable and inalienable possession. Verbal predicates are marked for either realis or irrealis mood. It also exhibits nominative-accusative alignment. [4]
MLL may refer to:
Malakula, also spelled Malekula, is the second-largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, formerly the New Hebrides, in Melanesia, a region of the Pacific Ocean.
The Central Vanuatu languages form a linkage of Southern Oceanic languages spoken in central Vanuatu.
The Southern Oceanic languages are a linkage of Oceanic languages spoken in Vanuatu and New Caledonia. It was proposed by John Lynch in 1995 and supported by later studies. It appears to be a linkage rather than a language family with a clearly defined internal nested structure.
The Republic of Vanuatu has the world's highest linguistic density per capita. Despite being a country with a population of less than 300,000, Vanuatu is home to 138 indigenous Oceanic languages.
Mwotlap is an Oceanic language spoken by about 2,100 people in Vanuatu. The majority of speakers are found on the island of Motalava in the Banks Islands, with smaller communities in the islands of Ra and Vanua Lava, as well as migrant groups in the two main cities of the country, Santo and Port Vila.
Aulua or Aulua Bay is an Oceanic language spoken in east Malekula, Vanuatu.
Raga is the language of northern Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. Like all Vanuatu languages, Raga belongs to the Oceanic subgroup of the Austronesian languages family. In old sources the language is sometimes referred to by the names of villages in which it is spoken, such as Bwatvenua (Qatvenua), Lamalanga, Vunmarama and Loltong.
Ninde, or Labo is an Oceanic language spoken by about 1,100 people in the Southwest Bay area of Malekula island, in Vanuatu.
Ahamb, also spelled Axamb or Akhamb is an Oceanic language spoken in South Malakula, Vanuatu.
Larëvat is an Oceanic language of central Malekula, Vanuatu.
Botovro (Mpotovoro) is an Oceanic language, which is primarily spoken at the north tip of Malekula, Vanuatu.
Unua, or Onua, is an Oceanic language spoken in south-east Malekula, Vanuatu. It is said to be a dialect of the same language, Unua-Pangkumu, as Rerep (Pangkumu).
Nisvai is an Oceanic language spoken in southeast Malekula, Vanuatu, on the eastern tip of the island, by about 200 speakers.
Nasvang is an Oceanic language spoken in southeast Malekula, Vanuatu, by about 275 speakers.
Tirax is an Oceanic language spoken in north east Malakula, Vanuatu.
Uripiv is a small inhabited island in Malampa Province of Vanuatu in the Pacific Ocean. Uripiv lies off the north coast of Malekula Island. The estimated terrain elevation above the sea level is some 8 meters.
Bwenelang (Mbwenelang) is an Oceanic language spoken on Malekula, Vanuatu.
The Malakula languages are a group of Central Vanuatu languages spoken on Malakula Island in central Vanuatu. Unlike some earlier classifications, linguist and Oceanic languages specialist John Lynch (2016) considered the Malakula languages to form a coherent group.
Najit is a Malakula language of Vanuatu, spoken by less than 5 speakers.