What language is closest to Proto Austronesian?

Vocabulary wise and phonologically, Malay is actually quite close to Proto-Malayo-Polynesian. It is one of the most archaic Malayo-Polynesian languages.

Is Filipino Malayo-Polynesian?

Today five Malayo-Polynesian languages have official status in five important states: Malagasy, in Madagascar; Malay, in Malaysia; Indonesian (also called Bahasa Indonesia, and based on Malay), in Indonesia; Pilipino (based on Tagalog), in the Philippines; and Maori, in New Zealand. …

Where did Austronesian languages come from?

Some scholars propose that the ancestral Proto-Austronesian language originated in Taiwan (Formosa), while other linguists believe that it originated in the islands of Indonesia. The Austronesian language family is usually divided into two branches: Malayo-Polynesian and Formosan.

What countries are under the Austronesian family language?

Austronesian languages, formerly Malayo-Polynesian languages, family of languages spoken in most of the Indonesian archipelago; all of the Philippines, Madagascar, and the island groups of the Central and South Pacific (except for Australia and much of New Guinea); much of Malaysia; and scattered areas of Vietnam.

How many Austronesian languages are there?

twenty Austronesian languages
Approximately twenty Austronesian languages are official in their respective countries (see the list of major and official Austronesian languages). By the number of languages they include, Austronesian and Niger–Congo are the two largest language families in the world.

Where are Austronesian languages spoken?

The Austronesian languages are spoken in most of the Indonesian archipelago: the Philippines, Madagascar, the island groups of the Central and South Pacific, Malaysia and in many parts of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Taiwan.

Is Vietnamese an Austronesian language?

Vietnamese is an Austroasiatic language related to Cambodian. Most languages in mainland Southeast Asia are Austroasiatic or Tai-Kadai.

Are Austronesians Chinese?

They are believed to have descended from ancestral populations in coastal Minyue, present-day Fujian, in mainland southern China, which are generally referred to as the “pre‑Austronesians”.

What are the four African language families?

The languages of Africa can be grouped into 6 major linguistic families. Each has a different history and geographic distribution on the continent. The four major families of AFRO-ASIATIC, NILO-SAHARAN, KHOISAN, and NIGER-CONGO are indicated on the map.

What are the Austronesian languages?

The Austronesian languages ( /ˌɔːstroʊˈniːʒən/) are a language family widely spoken throughout Maritime Southeast Asia, Madagascar and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. There are also a few speakers in continental Asia. They are spoken by about 386 million people (4.9%).

Who are the Austronesian peoples?

The Austronesian peoples, sometimes referred to as Austronesian-speaking peoples, are a large group of peoples in Madagascar, Maritime Southeast Asia, Micronesia, coastal New Guinea, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Taiwan that speak Austronesian languages.

How far back can the protohistory of the Austronesians be traced?

The protohistory of the Austronesian people can be traced farther back through time. To get an idea of the original homeland of the populations ancestral to the Austronesian peoples (as opposed to strictly linguistic arguments), evidence from archaeology and population genetics may be adduced.

How did the Austronesian language develop in Taiwan?

Instead, multiple migrations of various pre-Austronesian peoples and languages from the Chinese mainland that were related but distinct came together to form what we now know as Austronesian in Taiwan.