Languages of the Solomon Islands archipelago

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Languages of the Solomon Islands archipelago
Language families of the Solomon Islands archipelago
Red: North Bougainville
Blue: South Bougainville
Green: Central Solomons
Grey: Austronesian
OfficialEnglish
IndigenousSeveral languages
VernacularPijin, Solomon Islands English
Keyboard layout

Between 60 and 70 languages are spoken in the

Pijin, and the official language in both countries is English
.

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

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 popⁿ Area Family Branch
Pijin pis 24,390 (lg 1)
307,000 (lg 2)
4.0689 (lg 1)

51.2162 (lg 2)

Creole
'Are'are
alu 17,800 2.9695 Malaita
Southeast Solomonic
Oceanic
Arosi aia 6,750 1.1261 Makira
Baeggu bvd 5,900 0.9843 Malaita
Baelelea bvc 8,800 1.4681 Malaita
Bauro bxa 3,420 0.5706 Makira
Birao brr 5,900 0.9843 Guadalcanal
Bughotu bgt 4,048 0.6753
Santa Isabel
Dori'o dor 2,406 0.4014 Malaita
Fagani faf 902 0.1505 Makira
Fataleka far 6,703 1.1182 Malaita
Gela nlg 11,876 1.9813 Nggela Islands
Ghari gri 12,119 2.0218 Guadalcanal
Gula'alaa gmb 1,568 0.2616 Malaita
Kahua agw 5,170 0.8625 Makira
Kwaio kwd 13,249 2.2103 Malaita
Kwara'ae kwf 32,433 5.4107 Malaita
Lau llu 16,937 2.8256 Malaita
Lengo lgr 13,752 2.2942 Guadalcanal
Longgu lgu 1,894 0.3160 Guadalcanal
Oroha ora 38 0.0063 Malaita
Owa stn 3,069 0.5120 Makira
Sa'a apb 11,519 1.9217 Malaita
Talise tlr 12,525 2.0895 Guadalcanal
Toqabaqita
mlu 12,572 2.0974 Malaita
Wala lgl 6,978 1.1641 Malaita
Malango mln 4,135 0.6898 Guadalcanal
Gilbertese gil 1,230 0.2052 Gizo, Choiseul Micronesian
Tanema tnx 1 0.0002 Vanikoro Temotu
Asubuo
aua 10 0.0017 Utupua
Amba utp 593 0.0989 Utupua
Äiwoo nfl 8,400 1.4014 Reef Islands
Lovono vnk 4 0.0007 Vanikoro
Nanggu ngr 210 0.0350
Nendö
Natügu ntu 4,280 0.7140
Nendö
Nalögo
nlz 1,620 0.2703
Nendö
Tanibili tbe 15 0.0025 Utupua
Teanu tkw 800 0.1335 Vanikoro
Rennellese Sign Language 0 0.0000 Rennell and Bellona Province Home sign
Rennellese mnv 3,191 0.5323 Polynesian
Luangiua ojv 2,367 0.3949
Ontong Java
Sikaiana sky 731 0.1220 Sikaiana
Tikopia tkp 3,324 0.5545 Tikopia, Vanikoro
Vaeakau-Taumako piv 1,142 0.1905 Duff Is, Reef Is
Anuta aud 267 0.0445
Anuta Island
Lungga lga 2,767 0.4616 Ranongga
Western Oceanic
Marovo mvo 8,094 1.3503 New Georgia
Mono mte 3,337 0.5567 Shortland Is, Treasury Is
Ririo rri 79 0.0132 Choiseul Province
Roviana rug 9,871 1.6468 New Georgia
Babatana baa 5,600 0.9342 Choiseul Province
Blablanga blp 1,772 0.2956
Santa Isabel
Cheke Holo mrn 10,840 1.8084
Santa Isabel
Duke nke 2,312 0.3857 Kolombangara
Ghanongga ghn 2,508 0.4184 Ranongga
Hoava hoa 459 0.0766 New Georgia
Kazukuru kzk 0 0.0000 New Georgia
Kokota kkk 530 0.0884
Santa Isabel
Kusaghe ksg 2,395 0.3996 New Georgia
Simbo sbb 2,701 0.4506 Simbo
Ughele uge 1,202 0.2005 Rendova Island
Vaghua tva 1,960 0.3270 Choiseul Province
Vangunu mpr 907 0.1513 Vangunu
Varisi vrs 5,161 0.8610 Choiseul Province
Gao gga 1,215 0.2027
Santa Isabel
Laghu lgb 15 0.0025
Santa Isabel
Zabana kji 3,355 0.5597
Santa Isabel
Zazao jaj 10 0.0017
Santa Isabel
Lavukaleve lvk 1,783 0.2975 Russell Islands Central Solomonic
Savosavo svs 2,415 0.4029 Savo
Touo tqu 1,874 0.3126 Rendova Island
Bilua blb 8,740 1.4581 Vella Lavella

Italics indicate that a language is extinct.

Footnotes

Sources