It reflects an earlier Proto-Torres-Banks form *lemeriɣi, where the *riɣi component likely means "small".Lemerig has sometimes been referred to using the names of its local varieties: Päk;[3] Sasar; Alo-Teqel.Judging from wordlists published by missionary and linguist Robert Codrington,[4] these three varieties were very close to each other.These are all short monophthongs /i ɪ ɛ æ a œ ø ɒ̝ ɔ ʊ u/.[5][6] The system of personal pronouns in Lemerig contrasts clusivity, and distinguishes four numbers (singular, dual, trial, and plural).
One of the two remaining speakers of Lemerig, recorded in
Vanuatu
.