Used to describe the languages of Borneo appart from the Languages of Chinese, Indian or European origin. Most languages on Borneo seem to be in branches of the Austronesian family Borneo and Sulawesi. ... The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia. ...

Classification

• Austronesian
  • Malayo-Polynesian (MP)
    • Nuclear MP
      • Sunda-Sulawesi languages
      • Borneo-Philippines languages

In Detail The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia. ... The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Mexican language and comprise at least 351 million speakers. ... The Nuclear Malayo-Polynesian languages are a branch of the Austronesian family that are thought to have dispersed from a possible homeland in Sulawesi. ... The Sunda-Sulawesi languages (or Inner Hesperonesian or Inner Western Malayo-Polynesian languages) are a branch of the Austronesian family which include the languages of Sulawesi and the Greater Sunda Islands, as well as a few outliers such as Charmorro and Palauan, as outlined in Wouk and Ross (2002). ... The Borneo-Philippines languages (or Outer Hesperonesian or Outer Western Malayo-Polynesian languages) are a branch of the Austronesian family which include the languages of the Philippines, much of Borneo, the northern peninsula of Sulawesi, and Madagascar, as outlined in Wouk and Ross (2002). ...

Sunda-Sulawesi languages The Sunda-Sulawesi languages (or Inner Hesperonesian or Inner Western Malayo-Polynesian languages) are a branch of the Austronesian family which include the languages of Sulawesi and the Greater Sunda Islands, as well as a few outliers such as Charmorro and Palauan, as outlined in Wouk and Ross (2002). ...

Among many other languages of Sulawesi, Java, Sumatra, Maduras and Guam this group is present on Borneo with this branch:

• Malayic languages (25 languages dispersed from central Sumatra, including Minangkabau in central Sumatra, Acehnese in Aceh, Cham in Vietnam and Moken in Thailand and Burma)
  • Malay (Malaysian/Indonesian)
  • Iban of northern Borneo

Borneo-Philippines languages Minangkabau language is the spoken language of Minangkabau people from West Sumatra. ... The Achinese language is spoken in Aceh and on the northern and southern coasts around the tip of Sumatra, Indonesia. ... Aceh (IPA pronunciation: , pronounced approximately AH-chay, but with [e], not [ei] at the end) is a special territory (daerah istimewa) of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. ... Cham is the language of the Cham people of Southeast Asia. ... The Moken (Sometimes called Sea Gypsies) are an ethnic group with about 2000 to 3000 members who maintain a nomadic, sea-based culture. ... The Malay language, also known locally as Bahasa Melayu, is an Austronesian language spoken by the Malay people who reside in the Malay peninsula, southern Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, central eastern Sumatra, the Riau islands, and parts of the coast of Borneo. ... Iban is the spoken language of ethnic Dayak Iban in Borneo. ... Borneo and Sulawesi. ... The Borneo-Philippines languages (or Outer Hesperonesian or Outer Western Malayo-Polynesian languages) are a branch of the Austronesian family which include the languages of the Philippines, much of Borneo, the northern peninsula of Sulawesi, and Madagascar, as outlined in Wouk and Ross (2002). ...

There are a large number of small clusters of languages in the Borneo-Philippines family whose interrelationship remains uncertain. The languages of this group present on Borneo are thus:

• Barito languages (12 languages of south Borneo and Madagascar, including Ngaju Dayak and Malagasy)
• Kayan languages (18 languages of central Borneo, including Kayan)
• Penan (Punan-Nibong)
• Land Dayak (12 languages of west Borneo, such as Lara’)
• Melanau-Kajang languages
  • Kajang (Rejang) (3)
  • Melanau (Lower Rejang) (3)
• Berawan-Lower Baram (Baram-Tinjar) (5)
• Bintulu
• Dayic languages (languages of Sabah-Sarawak-Kalimantan border area)
  • Kelabitic (Apo Duat) (5 languages, including Kelabit)
  • Murutic (Murut-Tidong) (12 languages, including Tagol Murut, Tidong)
• Kenyah (11 languages of central Borneo called Kenyah
• Rejang-Sajau languages (5)
• Sabahan languages (languages of Sabah)
  • Dusunic (Dusun-Bisaya) (15 languages, including Kadazan-Dusun, Minokok, Lotud, Rungus?)
  • Ida’an
  • Paitanic (5 languages, including Tambanuo, Rumanau)