The family of Northwest Solomonic languages is a branch of the Oceanic languages. It includes the Austronesian languages of Bougainville and Buka in Papua New Guinea, and of Choiseul, New Georgia, and Santa Isabel (excluding Bugotu) in Solomon Islands.
The unity of Northwest Solomonic and the number and composition of its subgroups, along with its relationship to other Oceanic groups, was established in pioneering work by Malcolm Ross.See .
Languages
Northwest Solomonic languages group as follows:
Nehan – North Bougainville linkage Nehan (Nissan) Saposa–Tinputz: Hahon, Ratsua,distinct language per Bill Palmer Saposa (Taiof)–Teop, Tinputz Buka: Halia–Hakö, Petats Papapana Solos Piva–Bannoni family: Piva (Lawunuia), Bannoni Mono–Uruavan family: Mono-Alu, Torau, Uruava Choiseul linkage: Babatana (including Sisingga)–Ririo, Vaghua–Varisi New Georgia – Ysabel family New Georgia linkage: Simbo (Simbo Island), Roviana–Kusaghe, Marovo, Hoava, Vangunu (Vangunu Island), Nduke (Kolombangara Island), Ghanongga (Ranongga Island), Lungga (Ranongga Island), Ughele (North Rendova Island) Ysabel linkage: Zabana (Kia)–Laghu†, Kokota–Zazao (Kilokaka)–Blablanga, Gao–Cheke Holo (Maringe, Hograno)
In addition, the extinct Kazukuru language was probably one of the New Georgia languages. The unclassified extinct language Tetepare might have also been one of the New Georgia languages, if it was Austronesian at all.
Basic vocabulary Basic vocabulary in many Northwest Solomonic languages is aberrant, and many forms do not have Proto-Oceanic cognates.Pawley, Andrew. Explaining the Aberrant Austronesian Languages of Southeast Melanesia: 150 Years of Debate. Journal of the Polynesian Society, The, Vol. 115, No. 3, Sept 2006: 215-258. Below, Ririo, Zabana, and Maringe are compared with two Southeast Solomonic languages. Aberrant forms are in bold.
! English !! arm !! ear !! liver !! bone !! skin !! louse |- | Proto-Oceanic || || || || || || |- | Ririo || || || || || || |- | Zabana || || || || || || |- | Maringe || || || || || || |- | Gela || || || || || || |- | Arosi || || || || || ||
Notes
References
Further reading Bill Palmer (2005). North West Solomonic materials. University of Surrey, UK. Bill Palmer (2010). . University of Newcastle, Australia. Tryon, Darrell T. & B. D. Hackman. 1983. Solomon Islands Languages: An Internal Classification. (Pacific Linguistics: Series C, 72.) Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University Data set derived from Tryon & Hackman (1983): Greenhill, Simon, & Robert Forkel. (2019). lexibank/tryonsolomon: Solomon Islands Languages (Version v3.0). Zenodo.