| Western Malayo-Polynesian | |
|---|---|
| (obsolete) | |
| Geographic distribution | Southeast Asia andMadagascar |
| Linguistic classification | Austronesian
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-5 | pqw |
| Glottolog | None |
TheWestern Malayo-Polynesian (WMP) languages, also known as theHesperonesian languages, are aparaphyletic grouping ofAustronesian languages that includes thoseMalayo-Polynesian languages that do not belong to theCentral–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian (CEMP) branch. This includes all Austronesian languages spoken inMadagascar,Mainland Southeast Asia, thePhilippines, theGreater Sunda Islands (including smaller neighboring islands),Bali,Lombok, the western half ofSumbawa,Palau and theMariana Islands.
Western Malayo-Polynesian was originally proposed byRobert Blust as a sister branch within Malayo-Polynesian coordinate to the CEMP branch.[1] Because there are no features that define the WMP languages positively as a subgroup, recent classifications have abandoned it.[2][3]
