In linguistics,Melanesian is an obsolete term referring to theAustronesian languages ofMelanesia: that is, theOceanic,Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, orCentral–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages apart fromPolynesian andMicronesian. A typical classification of the Austronesian languages ca. 1970 would divide them into something like the following branches:[1]
It is now known that the Melanesian languages do not form a genealogical node: they are at bestparaphyletic, and very likelypolyphyletic; likePapuan, the term is now used as one of convenience, and sometimes placed inscare quotes.[2] Although the term was at least in the beginning partially racial rather than linguistic, the Melanesian and otherCentral–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian languages are typologically similar, due to being the Austronesian languages most heavily restructured under the influence of various Papuan language families.[3]
In terms of phylogenetic affiliation, “Melanesian languages” thus refer to a heterogenous set oflanguage families:
Most of the languages of Melanesia are members of theAustronesian language family or one of the manyPapuan families. By one count, there are 1,319 languages in Melanesia, scattered across a small amount of land. The proportion of 716 sq. kilometers per language is by far the most dense rate of languages in relation to land mass in the earth, almost three times as dense as in Nigeria, a country famous for its high number of languages in a compact area.[4]
In addition to this large number of indigenous languages, there are also a number of pidgins and creoles. Most notable among these areTok Pisin,Hiri Motu,Solomon Islands Pijin,Bislama, andPapuan Malay.
| Sovereign states |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Other territories | ||
| Culture | ||
| Geography | ||
| Organizations | ||
| Politics | ||
| Sports | ||
