The Timoric languages are a group of Austronesian languages (belonging to the Central–Eastern subgroup) spoken on the islands of Timor, neighboring Wetar, and (depending on the classification) Southwest Maluku to the east.

Within the group, the languages with the most speakers are Uab Meto of West Timor, Indonesia and Tetum of East Timor, each with about half a million speakers, though in addition Tetum is an official language and a lingua franca among non-Tetum East Timorese.

Languages

Hull (1998) & van Engelenhoven (2009)

Geoffrey Hull (1998) proposes a Timoric group as follows:

Timoric

Timoric A ("Extra-Ramelaic", Fabronic; whatever is not Ramelaic)

• West: Dawan (Uab Meto)–Amarasi, Helong, Roti (Bilba, Dengka, Lole, Ringgou, Dela-Oenale, Termanu, Tii)

• Central: Tetun, Bekais, Habu

• North: Wetar, Galoli

• East: Kairui, Waimaha, Midiki, Naueti

Timoric B ("Ramelaic", near the Ramelau range)

• West: Kemak, Tukudede

• Central: Mambai

• East (Idalaka): Idaté, Isní, Lakalei, Lolein

Van Engelenhoven (2009) accepts Hull's classification, but further includes Makuva and the Luangic–Kisaric languages (Kisar, Romang, Luang, Wetan, Leti) in the Eastern branch of Timoric A.

Taber (1993)

In a lexicostatistical classification of the languages of Southwest Maluku, Taber (1993:396) posits a "Southwest Maluku" branch of the Timoric languages, that comprises all languages of the area, except for West Damar and the Babar languages.

Timoric

• (other branches on Timor)

Southwest Maluku

• East Damar

• Wetar: Talur, Wetar cluster (Aputai, Perai, Tugun, Iliun)

• Kisar-Roma: Kisar, Roma

• Luang: Leti, Luang, Wetan

• TNS (Teun-Nila-Serua): Teun, Nila-Serua (Nila, Serua)

• (other branches of CMP, including Babar languages and West Damar)

Edwards (2021)

Edwards (2021) divides the languages of Timor and Southwest Maluku into two main branches, Central Timor and Timor–Babar:

• Central Timor: Kemak, Tokodede, Mambae, Welaun

Timor–Babar

• Helong

Rote-Meto

West Rote-Meto

• Dela, Oenale

Dengka-Meto

• Dengka, Lelain

• Meto

Nuclear Rote

• Tii, Lole

• Termanu, Ba'a, Korbafo, Bokai, Talae, Keka

• Bilbaa, Diu, Lelenuk

• Rikou, Landu, Oepao

• Lakalei–Idate: Lakalei, Idate

• Eastern Timor (Kawaimina): Kairui, Waimaha, Midiki, Naueti

• Wetar–Atauro: Atauran, Galoli, Wetarese

Southwest Maluku: Kisar, Roma, Leti, Luang, Wetan, Teun, Nila, Serua, East Damar

• Babar languages

References

• Hull, Geoffrey. 1998. "The basic lexical affinities of Timor's Austronesian languages: a preliminary investigation." Studies in Languages and Cultures of East Timor 1:97–202.

• Taber, Mark (1993). "Toward a Better Understanding of the Indigenous Languages of Southwestern Maluku." Oceanic Linguistics, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Winter, 1993), pp.389–441. University of Hawai'i.

External links

• LexiRumah (part of the Lesser Sunda linguistic databases)

• Reconstructing the past through languages of the present: the Lesser Sunda Islands

• The Languages of East Timor: Some Basic Facts (Revised 24.8.2004) Geoffrey Hull