Timoric languages
Subgroup of the Austronesian languages
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
distributionIndonesia
East Timor
- Malayo-Polynesian
- Central–Eastern
- Eastern Lesser Sunda languages
- Timoric
- Eastern Lesser Sunda languages
- Central–Eastern
| Timoric | |
|---|---|
| Geographic distribution | Indonesia East Timor |
| Linguistic classification | Austronesian
|
| Proto-language | Proto-Timoric |
| Subdivisions | (disputed) |
| Language codes | |
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.
Languages
Hull (1998) & van Engelenhoven (2009)
Geoffrey Hull (1998) proposes a Timoric group as follows:
- Timoric
- Timoric A ("Extra-Ramelaic", Fabronic; whatever is not Ramelaic)
- Timoric B ("Ramelaic", near the Ramelau range)
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.[1]
Taber (1993)

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.
- Timoric
- (other branches of CMP, including Babar languages and West Damar)
Edwards (2021)


Edwards (2021) divides the languages of Timor and Southwest Maluku into two main branches, Central Timor and Timor–Babar:[3]