Tahitic languages

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tahitic
Geographic distribution:	Polynesian islands
Genetic classification:	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian (MP) Nuclear MP Central-Eastern MP Eastern MP Oceanic Central-Eastern Central Pacific East Fijian-Polynesian Polynesian Nuclear Polynesian Eastern Polynesian Central Eastern Tahitic
Subdivisions:	Austral Māori Penrhyn Rakahanga-Manihiki Rarotongan Tahitian Tuamotuan Moriori (probably extinct)

The Tahitic languages are a group of Eastern Polynesian languages in the Central Eastern branch. (The other members of Central Eastern are Rapan, spoken on Rapa Island, and the Marquesic languages).

The two most important languages of the group by number of speakers are Tahitian and New Zealand Maori. Tahitian is the main language of the Society Islands, and is used as a lingua franca throughout much of French Polynesia, while Maori is spoken by a sizable minority in New Zealand where it shares official status with English.

Other languages of the group include:

Austral (or Tubuaian), spoken in the Austral Islands

Moriori, of the Chatham Islands of New Zealand

Penhryn (or Tongarevan), spoken on Penrhyn (Tongareva) in the northern Cook Islands

Rarotongan, spoken in the southern Cook Islands

Rakahanga-Manihiki, spoken on Rakahanga and Manihiki in the northern Cook Islands

Tuamotuan, spoken throughout the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia, with the exception of Puka-Puka and the Disappointment Islands.