The Piru Bay languages are a group of twenty
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. The Malayo-Polynesian languages are spoken by the Austronesian peoples outside of Taiwan, in the island nations of Southeas ...
, spoken on
Ambon Island
Ambon Island is part of the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. The island has an area of and is mountainous, well watered, and fertile. Ambon Island consists of two territories: the city of Ambon, Maluku, Ambon to the south, and three districts (''k ...
and around Piru Bay on the island of
Seram
Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent i ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
. None of the languages have more than about twenty thousand speakers, and several are endangered with extinction.
Classification
The languages are as follows:
[James T. Collins. 1983. ''The historical relationships of the languages of Central Maluku, Indonesia.'' Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University. (Pacific Linguistics: Series D-47.)]
*Piru Bay
**West Piru Bay (Seram and Ambon islands)
***
Asilulu
***Hoamoal:
Luhu (Piru),
Manipa;
Larike-Wakasihu,
Boano
**East Piru Bay
***
Sepa,
Teluti
***Solehua
****
Paulohi
****Seram Straits
*****
Kaibobo
*****Ambon:
Hitu
Hitu is an Austronesian language of the Central Malayo-Polynesian subgroup spoken on Ambon Island in eastern Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean ...
,
Tulehu;
Laha,
Seit-Kaitetu
*****Uliase (
Lease Islands
The Lease Islands (pronounced LAY-a-SAY, /leɪ.a.seɪ/), formerly called the Uliasers or Uliassers, are a group of three inhabited islands (and smaller uninhabited islets), lying immediately to the south of Seram and east of Ambon Island in the p ...
)
******
Kamarian
******Hatuhaha
*******
Haruku
*******Saparuan
********Elpaputi:
Amahai,
Nusa Laut
********Saparua:
Saparua,
Latu
Many of the Piru Bay languages form a
dialect continuum
A dialect continuum or dialect chain is a series of Variety (linguistics), language varieties spoken across some geographical area such that neighboring varieties are Mutual intelligibility, mutually intelligible, but the differences accumulat ...
. The Ambon branch should not to be confused with distantly related
Ambonese Malay
Ambonese Malay or simply Ambonese is a Malay-based creole language spoken on Ambon Island in the Maluku Islands of Eastern Indonesia. It was first brought by traders from Western Indonesia, then developed when the Dutch Empire colonised the M ...
, which is also often simply known as Ambonese.
References
Languages of Indonesia
Central Maluku languages
Seram Island
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