Torres–Banks languages
[1] The 17 languages, ranked from northwest to southeast, are:[1]: 181 A. François has published several studies comparing various features of the Torres–Banks languages: François (2012) is a sociolinguistic study of the area.The internal structure of the Torres–Banks linkage was assessed based on the Comparative method, and presented in the framework of historical glottometry (François 2014, 2017; Kalyan & François 2018).Kalyan & François (2018: 81) identified the following best-supported subgroups (in decreasing order of genealogical closeness): It is possible that the strict common ancestor of any two members of the Torres–Banks linkage is Proto-Oceanic itself.[1]: 188 Evidence of this is found in the irregular preservation of final consonants in Lakon (via a now-lost paragogic vowel) in some words, consonants which were lost in most other languages.[2][1]: 200 The common ancestor of all Torres-Banks languages is called Proto-Torres–Banks, viewed here as a mutually-intelligible chain of dialects within the Torres and Banks islands.