Piru Bay languages

The Piru Bay languages are a group of twenty Malayo-Polynesian languages, spoken on Ambon Island and around Piru Bay on the island of Seram, Indonesia. None of the languages have more than about twenty thousand speakers, and several are endangered with extinction.

Piru Bay
Geographic distribution	Ambon and Seram, Indonesia
Linguistic classification	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian (MP) Central-Eastern MP Central Maluku ? East Central Maluku Seram ? Nunusaku Piru Bay
Language codes
Glottolog	piru1243

Classification

The languages are as follows:^[1][2]

• Piru Bay
  • West Piru Bay (Seram and Ambon islands)
    • Asilulu
    • Hoamoal: Luhu (Piru), Manipa; Larike-Wakasihu, Boano
  • East Piru Bay
    • Sepa, Teluti
    • Solehua
      • Paulohi
      • Seram Straits
        • Kaibobo
        • Ambon: Hitu, Tulehu; Laha, Seit-Kaitetu
        • Uliase (Lease Islands)
          • Kamarian
          • Hatuhaha
            • Haruku
            • Saparuan
              • Elpaputi: Amahai, Nusa Laut
              • Saparua: Saparua, Latu

Many of the Piru Bay languages form a dialect continuum. The Ambon branch should not to be confused with distantly related Ambonese Malay, which is also often simply known as Ambonese.