Skou languages were first linked by G. Frederici in 1912. In 1941, K.H. Thomas expanded the family to its current extent. The Sko family is not accepted by
Søren Wichmann (2013), who splits it into two separate groups. Donohue (2007) and Donohue and Crowther (2005) list
Nouri as a mixed language having features of both the Piore River and Serra Hills subgroups.
Sko (Laycock 1975) Laycock posited two branches, Vanimo and Krisa: •
Sko • Vanimo branch •
Skou •
Sangke (Nyao) •
Wutung •
Vanimo (Dumo) • Krisa branch •
I’saka (Krisa) •
Rawo •
Puari •
Barupu (Warapu)
Skou (Ross 2005) However, Krisa is poorly supported and
Malcolm Ross abandoned it. •
Skou •
I’saka (Krisa) •
Barupu (Warapu) •
Puari •
Rawo •
Womo • Vanimo branch: •
Skou (Tumawo) •
Leitre •
Sangke (Nyao) •
Wutung •
Vanimo (Dumo) •
Dusur Macro-Skou (Donohue 2002) Mark Donohue proposed a subclassification based on
areal diffusion he called
Macro-Skou. •
Macro-Skou •
Isaka • Skou–Serra–Piore
linkage • Piore River:
Nori (strongly influenced by Womo),
Barupu • Serra Hills •
Puare • Rawo – Main Serra:
Rawo,
Womo • Skou (Vanimo) family •
Skou • Eastern Skou / Vanimo •
Leitre • West Coast • Border:
Nyao,
Wutung • Vanimo proper:
Dumo,
Dusur Donohue (2004) notes that is unclear if extinct
Nouri is in the Piore River or Serra Hills branch.
Sko (Foley 2018) Foley (2018) provides the following classification. •
Sko •
I'saka •
Piore River •
Barupu / Warupu (Bauni) •
Ramo (Uni) •
Sumo (Bouni) •
Serra Hills •
Puare • •
Womo •
Waro •
Inner Sko •
Skou • •
Leitre • •
Dumo •
Dusur • •
Nyao / Sangke •
Wutung Foley's
Inner Sko corresponds to Donohue's
Western Skou.
Miller (2017) The
Piore River branch was renamed
Lagoon in Miller (2017). The older names of the Piore River languages were from village names; Miller has since renamed them as Bauni, Uni, Bouni, and Bobe, though it is debatable whether they are all distinct languages. •
Lagoon (also
Piore River) •
Bauni (Poo and Barapu/Warapu villages) •
Uni (Ramo village) •
Bouni (Sumo village) •
Bobe (Nouri village)
Usher (2020) Usher groups the languages as follows, with each node being a reconstructable clade, and giving the family a geographic label rather than naming it after a single language. The Eastern languages are typologically quite distinct from the Western languages and I'saka. •
Vanimo Coast •
I'saka •
West •
Skou •
Leitre •
Dumo-Dusur (Vanimo) • Sangke–Wutung •
Sangke (Nyao) •
Wutung •
East •
Piore River •
Barupu (Bauni–Uri–Bouni) •
Nouri •
Serra Hills •
Puare •
Rawo • Pini •
Womo •
Sumararu ==Pronouns==