Classification
The West Oceanic linkage is made up of three sub-linkages:
- North New Guinea linkage
- Meso-Melanesian linkage
- Papuan Tip linkage
A reduced form of the family (excluding the Meso-Melanesian languages) was fully supported by a 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database.
The 2008 study concluded that Schouten did not lie within the North New Guinea branch of Western Oceanic. The unity of the Ngero–Vitiaz branch of North New Guinea, and at least one language from the Huon Gulf branch, was supported with 85% confidence. In addition, it supported with 60% confidence a connection between the Willaumez branch and these North New Guinea languages. Papuan Tip as a whole was fully supported for the languages considered.
- Willaumez
- North New Guinea (reduced)
- Schouten languages
- Papuan Tip languages
Read more about this topic: Western Oceanic Languages