The Northern Outliers–East Polynesian Hypothesis expanded

Abstract

The linguistics-based Northern Outliers–East Polynesian (NO-EPn) Hypothesis contrasts with the commonly held view that East Polynesia was settled from the Tonga-Sāmoa region. It proposes the Northern Outliers, especially the Central Northern Outliers, to be the homeland from which East Polynesia was settled. Added here to the three nested subgroups of the NO-EPn linguistic tree is a new Southeast Solomons Outlier–East Polynesian subgroup encompassing all previous languages covered by the Hypothesis as well as certain other Outliers to the south. Recent evidence from ethnology, natural history and biological anthropology is provided in further support of the NO-EPn Hypothesis. The possibility of borrowing between East Polynesian and Northern Outlier languages explaining the over 200 linguistic innovations uniquely shared by them is shown to be untenable. Also shown to be untenable is the possibility of simultaneous bifurcated settlement of East Polynesia and the Outliers from a source in the Tonga-Sāmoa area.