<P> Despite the relative low number of Polynesian languages, and the relative abundance of data already available on many of them, the comparative method was often reduced to comparisons of vocabulary, shared sporadic sound changes and, as Wilson had done in 1985, comparison of pronominal systems, which is perhaps the second most commonly described aspect of "minor" languages often available for comparison after the lexicostatistical lists . Wilson has a forthcoming work providing further evidence of fine grained subgroups within Ellicean and a consideration of other recent work on the matter of Ellicean internal relations . Wilson's new work brings the matter to the approximate limits of current data available, incorporating much data unknown to most other researchers . </P> <P> Returning to lexicostatistics, it must be emphasised that the method does not make the best possible use of its short word lists of 100 or 200 words . Dyen's massive lexicostatistical study of Austronesian, for instance, showed a great deal of (lexicostatistical) diversity in the Austronesian languages of Western Melanesia . This was sometimes on par with the lexicostatistical distance of Taiwan Austronesian languages from other Austronesian including Taiwan Austronesian languages from each other (Taiwan now definitively known to be the homeland of the language family itself). But the low lexicostatistical agreement of many Western Melanesian Oceanic languages with other Oceanic Austronesian can be easily dismissed as of little subgrouping interest because those languages are nevertheless full of diagnostic innovations of Oceanic Austronesian in their sound systems and vocabulary, including many Oceanic lexical innovations found in the 100 and 200 lexicostatistical word lists (and the deadly conclusive evidence of the shared phonological innovations of those low - scoring groups with all other Oceanic Austronesian). The Western Oceanic Melanesian "diversity" of lexicostatistical studies was never of any interest in terms of attributing any special time depth or subgrouping significance to it . They are just languages with accelerated loss of vocabulary, sometimes, in the Westerm Oceanic case, because they involve certain more ancient peoples of the region shifting to Oceanic speech after Oceanic - speaking peoples arrived . </P> <P> Partly because Polynesian languages split from one another comparatively recently, many words in these languages remain similar to corresponding words in others . The table below demonstrates this with the words for' sky',' north wind',' woman',' house' and' parent' in a representative selection of languages: Tongan; Niuean; Sāmoan; Sikaiana; Takuu; Rapanui language; Tahitian; Cook Islands Māori (Rarotongan); Māori; North Marquesan; South Marquesan; Hawaiian and Mangarevan . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> </Th> <Th> Tongan </Th> <Th> Niuean </Th> <Th> Sāmoan </Th> <Th> Sikaiana </Th> <Th> Takuu </Th> <Th> Rapanui </Th> <Th> Tahitian </Th> <Th> Rarotongan </Th> <Th> Māori </Th> <Th> North Marquesan </Th> <Th> South Marquesan </Th> <Th> Hawaiian </Th> <Th> Mangarevan </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> sky </Td> <Td> / laŋi / </Td> <Td> / laŋi / </Td> <Td> / laŋi / </Td> <Td> / lani / </Td> <Td> / ɾani / </Td> <Td> / ɾaŋi / </Td> <Td> / ɾaʔi / </Td> <Td> / ɾaŋi / </Td> <Td> / ɾaŋi / </Td> <Td> / ʔaki / </Td> <Td> / ʔani / </Td> <Td> / lani / </Td> <Td> / ɾaŋi / </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> north wind </Td> <Td> / tokelau / </Td> <Td> / tokelau / </Td> <Td> / toʔelau / </Td> <Td> / tokelau / </Td> <Td> / tokoɾau / </Td> <Td> / tokeɾau / </Td> <Td> / toʔeɾau / </Td> <Td> / tokeɾau / </Td> <Td> / tokeɾau / </Td> <Td> / tokoʔau / </Td> <Td> / tokoʔau / </Td> <Td> / koʔolau / </Td> <Td> / tokeɾau / </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> woman </Td> <Td> / fefine / </Td> <Td> / fifine / </Td> <Td> / fafine / </Td> <Td> / hahine / </Td> <Td> / ffine / </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> / vahine / </Td> <Td> / vaʔine / </Td> <Td> / wahine / </Td> <Td> / vehine / </Td> <Td> / vehine / </Td> <Td> / wahine / </Td> <Td> / veine / </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> house </Td> <Td> / fale / </Td> <Td> / fale / </Td> <Td> / fale / </Td> <Td> / hale / </Td> <Td> / faɾe / </Td> <Td> / haɾe / </Td> <Td> / faɾe / </Td> <Td> / ʔaɾe / </Td> <Td> / ɸaɾe / </Td> <Td> / haʔe / </Td> <Td> / haʔe / </Td> <Td> / hale / </Td> <Td> / faɾe / </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> parent </Td> <Td> / maːtuʔa / </Td> <Td> / motua / </Td> <Td> / matua / </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> / maatua / </Td> <Td> / matuʔa / </Td> <Td> / metua / </Td> <Td> / metua / </Td> <Td> / matua / </Td> <Td> / motua / </Td> <Td> / motua / </Td> <Td> / makua / </Td> <Td> / matua / </Td> </Tr> </Table>

The 14 polynesian languages spoken outside of geographic polynesia are termed