| Malekula | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution: |
Malakula, Vanuatu |
| Linguistic classification: | Austronesian |
| Subdivisions: |
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|
The two dozen Malekula languages are a group or groups of the North Vanuatu languages.
The Malekula languages have been divided into interior and coastal groups. However, this classification is not well supported. According to a 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database,[1] the interior and some of the coastal languages, such as Nahavaq, are related as a group, whereas the analysis found 70% support for including the coastal Nese language. Confidence was higher (90%) for the Santo–Malekula languages.
The traditional classification is,