Awara

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
awx
User Population

1,800 (Quigley and Quigley 2011), increasing. 630 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 1,800 (Quigley and Quigley 2011).

Location

Morobe province: Lae district, near the Wantoat [wnc] language area.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Trans-New Guinea, Finisterre-Huon, Finisterre, Wantoat
Dialects

Some dialect variation. Wantoat [wnc], Wapu dialect of Wantoat, and Awara are part of a chain of related varieties, with Awara at the western end. Lexical similarity: 60%–70% with Wantoat [wnc] and Wapu dialect of Wantoat.

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

Vigorous. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Most also use Tok Pisin [tpi]. Also use Wantoat [wnc], but mostly passively.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 30%. Children’s literacy schools. Literature. Bible portions: 2011.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Awara
Writing

Latin script [Latn].