巴丹語是散布在台灣和呂宋島之間的一些小島所使用的語言，和南島語非常接近。本篇論文目的在呈現巴丹語和其他南島語的關係。也就是往北比較它和台灣原住民語言的關係，往南和馬來－玻里尼西亞語的關係。其結果顯示巴丹語是一種馬來－玻里尼西亞語，但不附屬於大馬來－玻里尼西亞語（huge Malayo-Polynesian language group）中的任何一支。有鑑於此，巴丹語可能是由說原馬來－玻里尼西亞語的民族，在移居到呂宋島之前所建立的部落語言而來。這個可能性是由巴丹語的保守傾向所作的推測，不過目前還是一種可能性而已，不是確定的事實。本篇論文最後關切的問題是：台灣島內哪一種語言最接近原馬來－玻里尼西亞語？不過截至目前為止，對此問題並無明確的答案。

The Batanic languages are a group of closely related Austronesian languages spoken on the small islands scattered between Taiwan and Luzon. The purpose of this paper is to present what is known of their relationships to other Austronesian groups, the Formosan languages to the north and the Malayo-Polynesian languages to the south. It is shown that the Batanic languages are Malayo-Polynesian, but do not subgroup with any other smaller group of languages within the huge Malayo-Polynesian language group. In view of this, it is possible that the Batanic languages are descended from the speech of a community established in the islands by speakers of Proto Malayo-Polynesian before they reached Luzon. This possibility is supported by the conservatism of the Batanic languages, but remains just that--a possibility, not a certainty.