Northwest Solomonic languages

The family of Northwest Solomonic languages is a branch of the Oceanic languages. It includes the Austronesian languages of Bougainville and Buka in Papua New Guinea, and of Choiseul, New Georgia, and Santa Isabel (excluding Bugotu) in Solomon Islands.

The unity of Northwest Solomonic and the number and composition of its subgroups, along with its relationship to other Oceanic groups, was established in pioneering work by Malcolm Ross.^[1]

Northwest Solomonic languages group as follows:^[2]

• Nehan – North Bougainville linkage
  • Nehan (Nissan)
  • Saposa–Tinputz: Hahon, Ratsua,^[3] Saposa (Taiof)–Teop, Tinputz
  • Buka: Halia–Hakö, Petats
  • Papapana
  • Solos
• Piva–Bannoni family: Piva (Lawunuia), Bannoni
• Mono–Uruavan family: Mono-Alu, Torau, Uruava
• Choiseul linkage: Babatana (including Sisingga)–Ririo, Vaghua–Varisi
• New Georgia – Ysabel family
  • New Georgia linkage: Simbo (Simbo Island), Roviana–Kusaghe, Marovo, Hoava, Vangunu (Vangunu Island), Nduke (Kolombangara Island), Ghanongga (Ranongga Island), Lungga (Ranongga Island), Ughele (North Rendova Island)
  • Ysabel linkage: Zabana (Kia)–Laghu^†, Kokota–Zazao (Kilokaka)–Blablanga, Gao–Cheke Holo (Maringe, Hograno)

In addition, the extinct Kazukuru language was probably one of the New Georgia languages. The unclassified extinct language Tetepare might have also been one of the New Georgia languages, if it was Austronesian at all.

Basic vocabulary in many Northwest Solomonic languages is aberrant, and many forms do not have Proto-Oceanic cognates.^[4] Below, Ririo, Zabana, and Maringe are compared with two Southeast Solomonic languages. Aberrant forms are in bold.

English	arm	ear	liver	bone	skin	louse
Proto-Oceanic	*lima	*taliŋa	*qate	*suRi	*kulit	*kutu
Ririo	karisi	ŋgel	tutuen	punda	kapat	utu
Zabana	kame	taliŋa	kola	huma	kafu	gutu
Maringe	lima	khuli	khebu	knubra	guli	theli
Gela	lima	kuli	ate	huli	gui-guli	gutu
Arosi	rima	kariŋa	rogo	su-suri	ʔuri-ʔuri	kote

• Ross, Malcolm D. (1988). Proto Oceanic and the Austronesian languages of Western Melanesia. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics.

• Bill Palmer (2005). North West Solomonic materials. University of Surrey, UK.
• Bill Palmer (2010). [1]. University of Newcastle, Australia.
• Tryon, Darrell T. & B. D. Hackman. 1983. Solomon Islands Languages: An Internal Classification. (Pacific Linguistics: Series C, 72.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University
  • Data set derived from Tryon & Hackman (1983): Greenhill, Simon, & Robert Forkel. (2019). lexibank/tryonsolomon: Solomon Islands Languages (Version v3.0). Zenodo. doi:10.5281/zenodo.3535809