Language documentation in the West Austronesian world and Vanuatu: an overview

Abstract

This chapter introduces the Austronesian languages, with emphasis on the languages of Western Austronesia and Vanuatu which are the focus of this book. It gives an overview of the Austronesian languages, detailing their number, the locations where they are spoken, and their numbers of speakers. It informs readers about the linguistic vitality of the languages of the region, and about teams and research centres concerned with the study of Austronesian languages, pointing out the extent of urgency for language documentation in various areas.