The Mindanao or Southern Philippine languages are one of the few established large groups of languages in the Philippines, with two dozen closely languages of Mindanao

Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...

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The group has traditionally been called Southern Philippine, and believed to exclude the South Mindanao languages

South Mindanao languages

The South Mindanao languages are a group of languages spoken by the Bagobo, B'laan, T'boli, and Tiruray peoples of the southern coast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines. The languages are,*Bagobo *Bilic: Blaan, Tboli*Tiruray...

. However, Blust (1991) includes it in an expanded (Greater) Central Philippine clade under the name Mindanao, and more recent studies suggested that South Mindanao might belong after all.

Classification

The languages are divided into Manobo and Danao groups, plus the Subanun language. A 2008 analysis of the Austronesian Basic Vocabulary Database supported the inclusion of South Mindanao, for the following structure:

• Danao languages
  Danao languages
  The Danao languages are a group of languages spoken in the Philippines. They are Maguindanao and Maranao, each with approximately a million speakers.Each language has a dialect called Iranun; the Maranao Iranun is spoken in Borneo, in Malaysian Sabah....
  
  
• South Mindanao languages
  South Mindanao languages
  The South Mindanao languages are a group of languages spoken by the Bagobo, B'laan, T'boli, and Tiruray peoples of the southern coast of Mindanao Island in the Philippines. The languages are,*Bagobo *Bilic: Blaan, Tboli*Tiruray...
  
  
• Subanun–Manobo
  • Subanun
    Subanun language
    The Subanen language is a dialect cluster spoken in the Philippines. The varieties are Lapuyan, Maligay, Central, Salugnon, Malindang, Sibugay, Dumanquilas, Tuboy, Sindangan, Kolibugan, and Siocon. Most go by the name of Subanen or Kolibugan or both, and there is limited mutual intelligibility...
    
    
  • Manobo languages
    Manobo languages
    The Manobo languages are a group of languages spoken in the Philippines. All go by the name 'Manobo' or 'Banobo'.-Languages:*Central**East: Dibabawon, Rajah Kabunsuwan, Agusan**South: Ata-Tigwa , Obo**West: Western Bukidnon, Ilianen...
    
    

The Subanun–Manobo connection was supported at an 85% confidence level. In addition, South Mindanao was linked to Subanun–Manobo at 50% confidence.