Merei or Malmariv is an Oceanic language spoken in north central Espiritu Santo Island in Vanuatu.

The members of the population have a positive attitude towards the threatened language, with Merei being spoken by approximately 400 people as a mother tongue.

These villages are located between the Ora and Lape rivers in the central area of Espiritu Santo Island.

Subject pronouns, modality, and aspect markers occur preverbally, object pronouns and aspect adverbs follow the verb, and possessives are divided into direct and indirect (or inalienable and alienable respectively).

(as one is giving you food).Example 2 shows use of the first person plural exclusive independent pronoun gamau.

Ø3SGtaREALvai-ramake-3PLmate.died.Ø ta vai-ra mate.3SG REAL make-3PL died.‘He cause them to die.’Reflexive pronouns are formed from the root nese- followed by a possessive pronominal suffix.

IART.PNnau1SGnese-guself-1SGngaonlynam1SGtaREALsioto.stay.I nau nese-gu nga nam ta sioto.ART.PN 1SG self-1SG only 1SG REAL stay.‘Just I myself stay.’Nam1SGtaREALjipcutnese-guself-1SGnga.only.Nam ta jip nese-gu nga.1SG REAL cut self-1SG only.‘I cut myself.’Demonstrative pronouns consist of a mix of locational adverbs and third person pronouns.

[4] Shows get-nie a speaker hearer referenced demonstrative pronoun: Get-niethisiaART.CNsava?whatGet-nie ia sava?this ART.CN what'What is this?

[4] This type of formation is normally related with body parts, familial terms, and relationships between location and part-whole connections.

it operates as part of the noun phrase and functions like a descriptive normal modifier or a possessive construction.

iaART.CNnou-guPOSS.INEDbongnightia nou-gu bongART.CN POSS.INED night'my night' (the day of celebration for me)iaART.CNbongnightiART.PNiaART.CNvlamonthØ3SGtaREALeseoneia bong i ia vla Ø ta eseART.CN night ART.PN ART.CN month 3SG REAL one'the first day of the month'The following examples show the difference that indirect and direct possession have on the noun 'road'.

[4]: 31 IART.PNnau1moteiIRR.3.NEGnaART.CNtasalewhite-manI nau motei na tasaleART.PN 1 IRR.3.NEG ART.CN white-man'I am not a white-man'IART.PNnie3moteiIRR.3.NEGnaART.CNtijateacherI nie motei na tijaART.PN 3 IRR.3.NEG ART.CN teacher'He is not a teacher'Negative existential clauses are formed in Merei by following the basic intransitive structure of a verbal clause.

The distinction between prohibition and pleading depends on the meaning of the verbs and intonation or it may require a more specific declaration.