Wiki90: 90s Style Encyclopedia on the Web
Today we want to address a topic that has become very relevant today: Timoric languages. Whether we are talking about the importance of Timoric languages in today's society, its impact on people's lives, or even its relevance in history, this is a topic that never ceases to arouse interest. From its origins to its impact on daily life, Timoric languages has been the subject of debate and reflection. In this article, we will explore different facets of Timoric languages to understand its true scope and meaning in our lives.
Timoric | |
---|---|
Geographic distribution | Indonesia East Timor |
Linguistic classification | Austronesian |
Proto-language | Proto-Timoric |
Subdivisions | (disputed) |
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.
Geoffrey Hull (1998) proposes a Timoric group as follows:
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.
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.
Edwards (2021) divides the languages of Timor and Southwest Maluku into two main branches, Central Timor and Timor–Babar: