List of major and official Austronesian languages

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

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.

Official languages[edit]

Sovereign states[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Languages with at least 3 million native speakers[edit]

Dialects and creoles[edit]

Dialects of major Austronesian languages[edit]

Creoles and pidgins based on Austronesian languages[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  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.