Fox. — The Comparison of the Oceanic Languages. 465 



The simplest division of the Oceanic languages is that pro- 

 posed by Mr. S. H. Ray,* who distinguishes four main branches 

 from the common stem : — 



(1.) Indonesian, comprising the languages of Madagascar, 

 Malacca, Sumatra, Java, the South-eastern Sunda Islands, 

 Borneo, Celebes, the Philippines, and Formosa. 



(2.) Micronesian, comprising the languages of Palau, Caro- 

 line, Marshall, and Gilbert Groups. 



(3.) Melanesian, comprising the languages of the Bismarck 

 Archipelago, portions of south-eastern and north-eastern New 

 Guinea, the Solomon, Fiji, Banks, and New Hebrides Groups, tlie 

 Loyalty! [Islands, and New Caledonia. 



(4.) Polynesian, comprising the languages of the Eastern 

 Pacific from Hawai, Marquesas, and Easter Islands to Samoa, 

 Tonga, and New Zealand. 



The term " Papuan " is now restricted to non-Oceanic 

 languages which are found in parts of New Guinea, especially on 

 the west coast. Traces of a non - Oceanic language are also 

 found, it is thought, in the Moluccas, the northern Solomons, 

 Santa Cruz, aiid Paumotu. 



Mr. Ray has shown that, excluding the exceptional areas 

 above mentioned — (1) The vocabulary shows evidence of a 

 common origin ; (2) apparent differences in grammar are modi- 

 fications of the same methods rather than actual differences of 

 structure ; (3) the principal constructive particles are the same ; 

 and (4) the languages are in various stages, of which the Polv- 

 nesian is the latest. 



The present paper deals only with the first point, and with 

 that only in a negative way. The positive evidence in favour of 

 origin from a common stock is very strong. It is gathered partly 

 from the number of common words, and partly from the vary- 

 ing form of these words precluding the possibility of one group 

 having borrowed from another. Mr. Ray mentions such words 

 as the Maori forms rau, rimu, taturi, wlaich are found in one 

 dress or another all over the Oceanic region ; and the Hst of 

 such common words is a large one. But there is also real 

 diversity even in everv-day words, and this is no less interesting 

 than the agreement. 



It is worth while to remark at the outset that it is impossible 

 in a general way to speak of one group as having borrowed 

 from a neighbouring group the words common to both. There 

 is a tendency, for instance, to speak of " the Polynesian element 

 in Fijian " or " the Malay element in Maori." Borrowing there 

 undoubtedly has been, but with our present knowledge of the 



■ S. H. Ray, " The Ck)mmon Origin of the Oceanic Languages.' 



