Routledge Dictionary of Language and Linguistics
Approx. thirty closely related languages of the Malayo-Polynesian family, spoken in the Polynesian Islands.
Characteristics: extremely reduced sound system (e.g. Hawaiian has thirteen phonemes). Word order: VSO; tendency towards ergativity (
ergative language).
References
Chung, S. 1978.
Case marking and grammatical relations in Polynesian. Austin, TX.
Krupa, V. 1973. Polynesian languages. The Hague.
——1982. The Polynesian languages: a guide. London.
Seiter, W.J. 1980. Studies in Niuean syntax. New York.
This is the complete article, containing 69 words
(approx. 1 page at 300 words per page).
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