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The Philippine languages are a 1991 proposal by Robert Blust that all the languages of the Philippines and northern Sulawesi—except Sama-Bajaw (languages of the "Sea Gypsies") and a few languages of Palawan—form a family of Austronesian languages. Although the Philippines is near the center of Austronesian expansion from Formosa, there is little linguistic diversity among the approximately 150 Philippine languages. (Adelaar & Himmelmann 2005)

Classification

From approximately north to south, Adelaar and Himmelmann (2005) divide the Philippine languages into the following groups:

• Northern Philippine languages
  • Batanic languages (4 languages between Luzon and Formosa)
  • Northern Luzon languages (40 languages, including Ilokano)
  • Central Luzon languages (5 languages, including Kapampangan)
  • Northern Mindoro languages (or North Mangyan; 3 languages)
• Greater Central Philippine languages
  • South Mangyan languages (3 languages of Mindoro)
  • Central Philippine languages (40 languages, including Tagalog and Cebuano)
  • Palawan languages (6 languages)
  • Mindanao languages (20 languages)
  • Gorontalo-Mongondow languages (9 languages of north Sulawesi)
• Kalamian languages (2 languages of northern Palawan)
• South Mindanao languages (5 languages)
• Sangiric languages (4 languages of northernmost Sulawesi)
• Minahasan languages (5 languages of north Sulawesi)

A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database, while confirming the unity of the Philippine languages (excluding the Sangiric and Minahasan languages), found substantial differences in internal structure:

• Philippine-Gorontalo
  • Gorontalo-Mongondow languages
  • Philippine proper
    • Northern Philippine
      • Batanic languages
      • Central Luzon languages
      • Northern Luzon languages
    • Central-Southern Philippine
      • Central-Palawanic
        • Central Philippine
        • Palawanic
          • Palawan languages
          • Kalamian languages
          • South Mangyan languages
      • Mindanao languages (including South Mindanao)

Philippine comparison chart

See also

• Languages of the Philippines

References

• Fay Wouk and Malcolm Ross (ed.), The history and typology of western Austronesian voice systems. Australian National University, 2002.
• K. Alexander Adelaar and Nikolaus Himmelmann, The Austronesian languages of Asia and Madagascar. Routledge, 2005.
• Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database, 2008.

Languages of the Philippines Philippine languages National language Filipino Official languages English • Filipino Recognized regional languages Bikol • Cebuano • Hiligaynon • Ilokano • Kapampangan • Kinaray-a • Maguindanao • Maranao • Pangasinan • Tagalog • Tausug • Waray-Waray Recognized auxiliary languages Arabic • Spanish Language groups Borneo-Philippines {Central Philippine (Bikol {Coastal • Inland • Pandan} • Visayan {Aklan • Bisakol}) • (Batanic • Sambalic)}