List of major and official Austronesian languages

This is a list of major and official Austronesian languages, a language family originating from Taiwan, that is widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia and Madagascar.

Official languages[]

Sovereign countries[]

Language	Speakers	Native name	Official status
Fijian	639,210	Na Vosa Vakaviti	Fiji
Tagalog (Filipino)	20,000,000 (L1) 80,000,000 (L2)	Wikang Filipino/Tagalog	Philippines
Gilbertese	120,000	Taetae ni Kiribati	Kiribati
Hiri Motu	120,000 (L2)	Hiri Motu	Papua New Guinea
Malay (Malaysian)	30,000,000	Bahasa Melayu/Bahasa Malaysia/بهاس ملايو	Malaysia  Singapore  Brunei
Indonesian	250,000,000	Bahasa Indonesia	Indonesia
Malagasy	18,000,000	Fiteny Malagasy	Madagascar
Māori	150,000	Te Reo Māori	New Zealand
Marshallese	55,000	Kajin M̧ajeļ	Marshall Islands
Nauruan	6,000	Dorerin Naoero	Nauru
Palauan	15,000	Tekoi er a Belau	Palau
Samoan	510,000	Gagana Sāmoa	Samoa
Tetum	800,000	Lia-Tetun	East Timor
Tongan	108,000	Lea Faka-Tonga	Tonga
Tuvaluan	13,000	Te Ggana/Gagana Tuuvalu	Tuvalu

Territories[]

Language	Speakers	Native name	Official status	Country
Carolinian	5,700	Refaluwasch	Northern Mariana Islands	United States
Chamorro	95,000	Fino' Chamoru	Guam  Northern Mariana Islands	United States
Cook Islands Māori	14,000	Māori Kūki 'Āirani Te Reo Ipukarea	Cook Islands	New Zealand
Hawaiian	24,000	ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi	Hawaii	United States
Kanak			New Caledonia	France
Niuean	8,000	Ko e Vagahau Niuē	Niue	New Zealand
Rapa Nui	5,000	Vananga Rapa Nui	Easter Island	Chile
Samoan	55,000	Gagana Sāmoa	American Samoa	United States
Sonsorolese	600	Ramari Dongosaro	Sonsorol	Palau
Tahitian	120,000	Reo Mā'ohi/Tahiti	French Polynesia	France
Tobian	100	Ramarih Hatohobei	Hatohobei	Palau
Tokelauan	3,500	Gagana Tokelau	Tokelau	New Zealand

Major languages[]

Languages with at least 3 million native speakers

• Javanese (100 million)
• Indonesian (42 million native, ~250 million total)
• Malay (Malay/Malaysian) (30 million)
• Tagalog (Filipino) (47 million native, ~100 million total)
• Sundanese (42 million)
• Cebuano (30 million native, ~35 million total)
• Malagasy (17 million)
• Madurese (14 million)
• Ilokano (8 million native, ~10 million total)
• Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) (7 million native, ~11 million total)
• Batak (8.5 million, all dialects)
• Minangkabau (7 million)
• Bugis (5 million)
• Bikol (4.6 million, all dialects)
• Banjar (4.5 million)
• Acehnese (3.5 million)
• Balinese (3 million)

Dialects and creoles[]

Dialects of major Austronesian languages

• Banyumas Javanese (15,000,000 native, Indonesia)
• Banten Sundanese (3,350,000 native, Indonesia)
• Osing Javanese (300,000 native, Indonesia)
• Batak Alas language (200,000 native, Indonesia)
• Batak Angkola language (750,000 native, Indonesia)
• Batak Karo language (600,000 native, Indonesia)
• Batak Mandailing language (1,100,000 native, Indonesia)
• Batak Simalungun language (1,200,000 native, Indonesia)
• Batak Pakpak language (1,200,000 native, Indonesia)
• Batak Toba language (2,000,000 native, Indonesia)
• Central Bikol language (2,500,000 native, Philippines)
• Albay Bikol language (1,900,000 native, Philippines)
• Itbayat language (3,500 native, Philippines)
• Pattani Malay (1,500,000 native, Thailand)
• Kelantan Malay (1,600,000 native, Malaysia)
• Terengganu Malay (1,100,000 native, Malaysia)
• Pahang Malay (1,000,000 native, Malaysia)
• Perak Malay (1,400,000 native, Malaysia)
• Jambi Malay (700,000 native, Indonesia)
• Kedah Malay (5,000,000 native, Malaysia)
• Palembang Malay (3,100,000 native, Indonesia)

Creoles and pidgins based on Austronesian languages

• Betawi language (3,000,000 native, Indonesia)
• Sri Lanka Malay (50,000, Sri Lanka)
• Cocos Malay (4,000, Australia and Malaysia)
• Baba Malay (500,000, Indonesia and Malaysia)
• Sabah Malay (3,000,000, Malaysia)
• Ambonese Malay (250,000 native, Indonesia)
• Papuan Malay (500,000, Indonesia)
• Manado Malay (850,000, Indonesia)
• North Moluccan Malay (700,000, Indonesia)
• Broome Pearling Lugger Pidgin (40?, Australia)
• Chetty Malay (300?, Malaysia)
• Bahasa Rojak (Malaysia).
• Lundayeh/Lun Bawang (30 000). ( Malaysia Borneo )
• Kelabit language (5000) ( Malaysia Borneo )

See also[]

• Austronesian Formal Linguistics Association

References[]