How do Micronesian languages resemble languages spoken in Vanuatu?

Micronesian languages and many languages spoken in Vanuatu share a common ancestry as members of the Austronesian language family. Specifically, they are linked through the Oceanic subgroup, which encompasses the languages of Micronesia (excluding Palauan and Chamorro) and the Austronesian languages of Melanesia, including those of Vanuatu.12

The resemblance between these languages is rooted in their shared historical development:

• Common Ancestry: Both groups descend from Austronesian-speaking peoples who migrated from Southeast Asia and settled across the Pacific islands, including the Bismarck Archipelago, Vanuatu, and parts of Micronesia, beginning approximately 4,000 years ago.3
• Structural Features: As Oceanic languages, they share certain linguistic characteristics, such as a tendency to use separate words rather than affixes to express grammatical relationships and a basic five-vowel system.2
• Cultural and Linguistic Ties: The Austronesian languages of northern Vanuatu are noted to be very closely related to those of eastern Micronesia and Polynesia.3

While they share this deep historical and structural connection, it is important to note that the indigenous languages of Vanuatu are highly diverse, with more than 100 local Melanesian languages spoken throughout the country.4