In the Solomon islands at least seven Papuan languages are known : 1. Nasioi, on north coast of south-east Bougainville island.
2. Koromira, adjacent to Nasioi.
3. Telei or Buin, in south of Bougainville island. A. Bilua in Vella Lavella island. 5. Baniata in Randuvu (Rendova) island.
6. Laumbe, in Russell (or Cape Marsh) island.
7. Savo, in Savo island west of Florida.
Classification.-A complete survey of the Papuan languages is not yet possible and classification based on grammar is pre mature. At present no two Papuan languages show sufficient likeness in grammar to establish genealogical relationship and each name in the foregoing list represents an independent lin guistic stock.
The pronouns of the various languages have no common basis. They often indicate the dual, and rarely a trial number by suffixes which may or may not be derived from the numerals "two" and "three." Sometimes entirely distinct words are used. Very few Papuan languages have two forms of the first dual and plural personal pronouns; one indicating the inclusion, the other the exclusion of the person addressed, so that "we" means either "you and I" or "he and I" (in the plural "they and I"). In some languages the possessive pronoun does not differ from the per sonal, but in others a suffix is used. There are many irregularities and omissions, and some languages use more than one method. A different pronoun or different method is sometimes used to indicate a special kind of possession, and these pronouns may sometimes be used without the noun.
In most of the Papuan languages there is no indication of grammatical gender and the pronouns of the third person rarely distinguish sex. In a few languages there is a classification of nouns with a special pronoun for each class, and the classification is not sexual.
In Nasioi the classification is as varied as the Bantu of Africa. The classes are distinguished by a suffixed article, and the numerals, possessive, interrogative and demonstrative pronouns and adjectives take endings in concord with the noun.
The genitive usually precedes, sometimes with a particle, sometimes with a pronoun, between the governed and governing words.
In a few Papuan languages the subject and object of the verb are shown only by separate nouns or pronouns, the verb itself undergoing no change. In most of the languages the objective pronoun is combined with the verb as prefix, infix or suffix. Some languages indicate the subject by a change in the verbal ending. This often varies according to tense. Other languages indicate both subject and object by distinct particles or by syllables meaning I-thee, I-him, you-me, etc., in which separate pronouns do not appear. Some of the Papuan verbs only indicate two per sons, an inclusive person, used with the pronouns I and we, and an exclusive person used for all others, but in some languages the inclusive person is used with I, we and you, and the exclusive for he and they.
Most Papuan languages have only the numerals "one" and "two," and three is rarely found. In some places Melanesian expressions are imitated. It is a Papuan custom to recall the number of objects by using parts of the body as tallies.