Where is Austronesian distributed?
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.
What is the most widely spoken Austronesian language?
They are spoken by about 386 million people (4.9% of the world population). This makes it the fifth-largest language family by number of speakers. Major Austronesian languages include Malay (Indonesian and Malaysian), Javanese, and Tagalog (Filipino)….Austronesian languages.
| Austronesian | |
|---|---|
| Ethnicity | Austronesian peoples |
What countries are Austronesians?
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.
Where did Austronesian language 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.
Is Tagalog an Austronesian language?
Tagalog language, member of the Central Philippine branch of the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) language family and the base for Pilipino, an official language of the Philippines, together with English. It is most closely related to Bicol and the Bisayan (Visayan) languages—Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilongo), and Samar.
How many branches are in Austronesian?
The Austronesian language family is usually divided into two branches: Malayo-Polynesian and Formosan. The Malayo-Polynesian branch is by far the largest of the two. It is traditionally divided into two main sub-branches.
Is Taiwan an Austronesian?
This was the beginning of the Austronesian expansion. They spread throughout the rest of the Philippines and eventually migrated further to the other islands of Southeast Asia, Micronesia, Island Melanesia, Polynesia, and Madagascar. Taiwan remains the homeland of the Austronesian languages.
Who speaks Austronesian?
‘ Austronesia includes Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. With 1268 languages, Austronesian is one of the largest and the most geographically far spread language families of the world.
Why did the Austronesians migrate?
Around 3000 BCE, a mass migration spurred by population growth launched from the coast of modern-day Taiwan. The migrants crossed the oceans of the Indo-Pacific over hundreds of years to settle in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Madagascar, with some historians estimating they travelled as far as the Americas.
What is meant by Austronesian?
: of, relating to, or constituting a family of languages spoken in the area extending from Madagascar eastward through the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago to Hawaii and Easter Island and including practically all the native languages of the Pacific islands with the exception of the Australian and Papuan languages.
How many languages are spoken in Austronesian?
With 1268 languages, Austronesian is one of the largest and the most geographically far spread language families of the world.