AUSTRONESIAN LANGUAGES. The name "Malayo Polynesian languages" was applied to this family of languages by W. von Humboldt in his work, Ueber die Kawi-Sprache auf der Insel Java (2 vols., Berlin, 1836, 1839). But when the affinity of the Melanesian languages was ascertained, W. Schmidt in his treatise Die sprachlichen Verlialtnisse Ozeaniens, ... in ihrer Bedeutung fur die Etlinologie (Vienna,
p.
f.), applied the collective term "Austronesian languages" to the languages of this vast area. The Polynesian languages have arisen from a certain group of the Melanesian languages, those of the central Solomon islands among others. The Melanesian languages for their part are descendants of the Indonesian languages, distin guishable
from them on the one hand by phonetic decay, petrifi cation of the pre- and in-fixes, and reduction of the syntax; on the other hand by innovations chiefly in a more copious formation of numeri with the personal pronoun. The rise of the Polynesian from the Melanesian languages continued and completed this process, especially by reduction of the phonetic system. Thus we are here dealing with a regressive development starting from the Indonesian languages through the Melanesian languages to the Polynesian languages; a development effected by the fact, that the dark-skinned ulotrichous Melanesians were different from and much more primitive than the Indonesians.
All Austronesian languages use post-position of the genitive and are therefore in substance prefix languages, and use prepositions ; suffixes are considerably rarer. Only on the Little Sunda islands and the Moluccas, on the coasts of New Guinea and in some languages of New Britain and the Solomon islands preposition of the genitive is found in conse quence of a blending with the Papuan languages (formerly and now) native there. The first person plural (dual, trial) has an inclusive form (if the person addressed is included) and an ex clusive form (if he is excluded). The Indonesian languages use in word-formation, declension and conjugation, an amply devel oped system of pre- and in-fixes that is petrified almost every where in the Melanesian and Polynesian languages.
The Indonesian languages are di vided into a greater western group and a smaller eastern group. The western group comprises the Malagasy and a northern divi sion and a southern division. To the northern division belong: Formosan, Philippine languages (Tagalog, Bisaya, Ilokano, Igorot Biko, etc.), Chamorro (Marian islands), Pelew, Sangir (north east Celebes). To • the southern division belong: Malay, Batak, Nias, Madura-Bali, Makassar-Bugis, Mentawei-Engano; Java, Sunda, Dayak; Toradja, Bimba-Sumba. The eastern group con tains the languages of the Little Sunda islands and the Moluccas : Sikka, Tettum, Kupong-Galoli (East Flores), Solor, Rotti, Kisser, Letti, Watubela, Aru, Kei, Ceram.
The Melanesian languages are di vided into a southern group: New Caledonian, Loyalty islands, Aneityum, Eromanga; a central group: New Hebrides, Banks islands, Fiji, southern Solomons; a northern group: northern Solomons, New Britain, Admiralty islands, Santa Cruz; Micro nesian languages : Caroline islands, Yap, Ponape, Gilbert islands, Marshall islands, Nauru; languages mixed with Papuan: Barriai, Kilenge, Mengen (New Britain), Mono, Uruava, Torau (South Bougainville), coast languages of New Guinea; transitory lan guages : South coast of New Guinea, central New Hebrides, central Solomon islands.
The Polynesian languages are di vided into a western group with the languages of Fakaafo, Futuna, Samoa, Tonga, Uvea, Niue and an eastern group with the lan guages of New Zealand (Maori), Mangarewa, Marquesas islands, Rarotonga, Hawaii.
See W. Schmidt, Die Sprach f amilien and Sprachenkreise der Erde (Heidelberg, 1926, p. 144-146) ; S. H. Ray, Comparative Studies in the Melanesian Island Languages (Cambridge, 1926) .
