The Babar languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian language family spoken on the Babar Islands, Indonesia.Mark Taber. 1993. Toward a better understanding of the Indigenous Languages of Southwestern Maluku. Oceanic Linguistics 32. 389-441.Aone van Engelenhoven. 2010. Tentatively locating West-Damar among the languages of Southwest Maluku. In Chlenova, Svetlana and Fedorchuk, Artem (eds.), Studia Anthropologica: a Festschrift in Honor of Michael Chlenov, 297-326. Moscow-Jerusalem: Gesharim.
Languages Peripheral: West Damar, Dawera-Daweloor, North Babar, Dai South: Central Masela Nuclear South Babar: East Masela, West Masela, Serili, Southeast Babar Southwest Babar: Emplawas, Imroing, Tela-Masbuar
Proto-language Proto-Babar was first reconstructed by Grimes & Edwards (2026).Grimes, Charles E. & Owen Edwards. 2026. The Austronesian languages of eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste: Unravelling their prehistory and classification. Berlin: Language Science Press.
Proto-Babar Proto-South Babar Gloss*kami *ʔami '1pl.excl'*kita '1pl.incl'*au *ai '1sg'*ou *owu '2sg' *lim 'arm, hand'*(li)-awi/*(li)-awu *awi 'ash, dust'*or *or 'bamboo'*(wa)riʈ 'bathe'*har *har 'betel pepper'*manu *mani(an)/*mani(en) 'bird'*metem 'black'*raya 'blood'*yai *yai 'boat'*rui 'bone'*tuni *kuni 'burn, roast'*ʈaŋa 'branch'*ʈuʈu 'breast'*an/*ana *an 'child'*tilu 'deaf'*aʈu 'dog'*waya 'dry in sun'*tliŋa *klil 'ear'*kaka *ʔaka 'elder sibling'*teli 'egg'*mata *mak/*muka 'eye'*tei *kei 'feces' *om 'fingernail'*ai *ai 'fire'*ikan *ian 'fish'*lima 'five'*wu- 'fruit'*niki *ni 'fruit bat'*peni *peni 'full'*tiŋa 'garden'*moho 'green'*wulu 'hair'*kutu *oka 'head'*ulu 'head' *ren 'hear'*uma/*yuma *yum 'house'*ira 'how much'*buni *buni 'kill'*tur *kur 'knee'*utu/*kutu *oki 'louse'*mani/*mayuni *oi mani 'man'*wur 'mountain'*nuru *nor 'mouth'*ŋan *nan 'name'*wari 'new'*irn 'nose'*meʈ(en) 'one'*halan *haln 'path'*uhan 'rain'*wiay 'root'*eni *ini 'sand'*iti 'seven'*nemo 'six'*nie *nie 'snake'*tani 'soil'*tun *kun 'star'*laya 'sun'*maʈu 'smoke'*ʔapun *ʔap(e)n 'stomach'*watu *waki 'stone'*wenaŋui *-wenani 'swim'*iur/*iru 'tail'*ŋiʈ/*ŋiʈi 'teeth'*wuti 'ten'*riwin *riwen(i) 'thousand'*teli 'three'*nama *nam 'tongue'*nin *lil/*nin 'tooth'*muta *muku 'vomit'*wey 'water'*ʈai 'who'*aŋin *anni 'wind'*(m)nu *mno 'wound'*wayi 'younger sibling'
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