Papuan Tip | |
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Geographic distribution |
Eastern New Guinea |
Linguistic classification |
Austronesian
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Subdivisions |
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Glottolog | papu1253 |
The Papuan Tip languages are a branch of the Western Oceanic languages consisting of 60 languages. All Papuan Tip languages, except Nimoa, Sudest, and the Kilivila languages (all spoken on islands off the coast of mainland Papua New Guinea), have SOV word order due to influences from nearby Papuan languages (Lynch, Ross, & Crowley 2002:104). Universally, this is considered to be a typologically unusual change.
According to Lynch, Ross, & Crowley (2002), the structure of the family is as follows:
Maisin is difficult to classify, but its Austronesian component likely belongs with Nuclear Papuan Tip. Yele has recently been tentatively classified as closest to Nimoa–Sudest.