Lost Languages of Papua New Guinea
It has been reported that several languages previously known to be spoken in PNG have already been lost.
Thanks to the work of the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL *), the Australian National University and the University of Papua New Guinea's work on languages it can be said that the following languages have already died out.
|
Language
|
Region or Province
|
Comment
|
| BINA | Central Province | In the year 2000 this language only had two primary speakers. |
| REMA | Morehead District, Western Province | |
| KANIET | Anchorite and Kaniet Islands of Western Manus Province. | |
| ARIBWATSA | Morobe Province | No known speakers. |
| HERMIT | Luf and Maron Island, in Hermit - Manus Province | |
| MULAHA | Southeast of Gaire - Central Province | |
| OUMA | Labu - Central Province | |
| URUAVA | South Eastern coast of Bougainville | |
| KARAMI | Inland border of Gulf and Western province | |
| YOBA | North of Magori, Central province | Two non primary speakers |
Information extracted from article by Dr. Steven Winduo - director of the Melanesian and Pacific studies (MAPS) School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Papua New Guinea.
* The Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) deals with over 285 of the PNG "tokples" languages.
Please visit a page on this web site about the work of SIL
In an early 2015 report on local PNG television- EMTV, Dr Sakarepe Kamene, an academic at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG). said “Out of 800 languages (in Papua New Guinea), half of that number has less than 2,000 speakers; that means half of our languages are threatened".
Madang Community Moves to Protect Languages -- http://giaman.com/pg/?19c5b6
Butibam Clan elders raise concerns about rapid loss of language -- http://giaman.com/s/6u
An endangered language is a language that it is at risk of falling out of use, generally because it has few surviving speakers. If it loses all of its native speakers, it becomes an extinct language. UNESCO defines four levels of language endangerment between "safe" (not endangered) and "extinct":
- Vulnerable
- Definitely endangered
- Severely endangered
- Critically endangered
| Language | Status |
|---|---|
| Abaga language | Critically endangered |
| Ainbai language | Severely endangered |
| Ak language | Severely endangered |
| Anuki language | Definitely endangered |
| Arawun language | Severely endangered |
| Ari language | Severely endangered |
| Atemble language | Definitely endangered |
| Bagupi language | Definitely endangered |
| Bepour language | Severely endangered |
| Bikaru language | Severely endangered |
| Bilakura language | Critically endangered |
| Bosilewa language | Vulnerable |
| Bothar language | Severely endangered |
| Budibud language | Vulnerable |
| Bukiyip language | Vulnerable |
| Bulgebi language | Definitely endangered |
| Bumbita Arapesh language | Vulnerable |
| Dengalu language | Definitely endangered |
| Doga language | Definitely endangered |
| Dorro language | Severely endangered |
| Dumun language | Critically endangered |
| Duwet language | Vulnerable |
| Faita language | Severely endangered |
| Garuwahi language | Definitely endangered |
| Gorovu language | Severely endangered |
| Grass Koiari language | Vulnerable |
| Guranalum language | Critically endangered |
| Hermit language | Critically endangered |
| Iteri language | Severely endangered |
| Kaiep language | Vulnerable |
| Kaki Ae language | Vulnerable |
| Kalamo language | Severely endangered |
| Kamasa language | Critically endangered |
| Kandas language | Vulnerable |
| Kaningara language | Vulnerable |
| Karore language | Vulnerable |
| Kawucha language | Critically endangered |
| Koitabu language | Vulnerable |
| Kowaki language | Critically endangered |
| Kuot language | Vulnerable |
| Laua language | Critically endangered |
| Laxudumau language | Vulnerable |
| Likum language Likum | Definitely endangered |
| Magori language | Vulnerable |
| Makolkol language | Critically endangered |
| Mari language | Severely endangered |
| Mawak language | Critically endangered |
| Mindiri language | Severely endangered |
| Moere language | Severely endangered |
| Mosimo language | Severely endangered |
| Murik language | Vulnerable |
| Musan language | Severely endangered |
| Musom language | Definitely endangered |
| Mussau-Emira language | Definitely endangered |
| Mwatebu language | Definitely endangered |
| Nafi language | Severely endangered |
| Nauna language | Vulnerable |
| Numbami language | Vulnerable |
| Onjab language | Vulnerable |
| Ouma language | Critically endangered |
| Papapana language | Definitely endangered |
| Papi language | Severely endangered |
| Piame language | Severely endangered |
| Piu language | Definitely endangered |
| Puari language | Critically endangered |
| Samosa language | Severely endangered |
| Sene language | Critically endangered |
| Sengseng language | Vulnerable |
| Sepa language, Schouten languages | Vulnerable |
| Sera language | Severely endangered |
| Sissano language | Critically endangered |
| Somm language | Definitely endangered |
| Suarmin language | Definitely endangered |
| Sumariup language | Severely endangered |
| Susuami language | Critically endangered |
| Taap language | Critically endangered |
| Taiap language | Severely endangered |
| Taulil language | Vulnerable |
| Tench language | Critically endangered |
| Turaka language | Critically endangered |
| Usu language | Severely endangered |
| Vehes language | Severely endangered |
| Wab language | Vulnerable |
| Warapu language | Severely endangered |
| Yapunda language | Severely endangered |
| Yarawata language | Severely endangered |
| Yarawi language | Critically endangered |
| Yimas language | Severely endangered |