STUDIES OF PACIFIC LANGUAGES IN THE XIX AND XX CENTURY
The article deals with the scientific work of 3 British linguists, who lived in different periods of the XIX - XX centuries. They made a remarkable contribution to the documentation of some exotic aboriginal languages of the Pacific region, which was possible due to the existence of the British Empire. L. Threlkeld and G.A. Robinson combined missionary activities with studying languages. The wordlists of some languages that are now extinct are the only remaining ones. These vocabulary lists provide information about changes which took place in these languages from the moment of the first contacts with Europeans.