Tags: Language.

Native languages of Oceania fall into three major geographic groups:The large Austronesian language family with such languages as Malay (Indonesian) Tagalog (Filipino) and Polynesian languages such as Maori and HawaiianThe Aboriginal Australian languages including the large Pama–Nyungan familyThe Papuan languages of New Guinea and neighbouring islands including the large Trans–New Guinea familyContact between Austronesian and Papuan resulted in several instances in mixed languages such as Maisin.Colonial languages include English in Australia New Zealand Hawaii and many other territories; French in New Caledonia and French Polynesia Portuguese in East Timor Japanese in the Bonin Islands Spanish on Easter Island.There are also Creoles formed from the interaction of Malay or the colonial languages with indigenous languages such as Tok Pisin Bislama Chavacano various Malay trade and creole languages Hawaiian Pidgin Norfuk and Pitkern.Finally immigrants brought their own languages such as Mandarin Italian Arabic Cantonese Greek and others in Australia or Fiji Hindi in Fiji.

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