Yabem

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
jae
Alternate Names
Jabem, Jabim, Laulabu, Yabim
Autonym
Jabêm
User Population

18,080, all users. L1 users: 2,080 (McElhanon 1978). L2 users: 16,000 (2021). Ethnic population: 5,890 (2000 census).

Location

Morobe province: Huon peninsula, near Finschhafen coast.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b* (Threatened).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, North New Guinea, Huon Gulf, North
Typology

SVO; noun head initial; verb affixes mark person and number; aspect; 25 consonants and 7 vowels; tonal (high and low); vowel harmony; verb serialization; inclusive/exclusive pronouns; alienable/inalienable possession.

Language Use

Used as a church language by Lutherans in the Huon Peninsula region since 1890. Served as medium of instruction for 30,000 students following World War II (Streicher 1982), but now eclipsed by Tok Pisin in use as a lingua franca. Also use Tok Pisin [tpi], especially young people (Ross 2002a). Used as L2 by Bugawac [buk], Kapin [tbx], Karnai [bbv], Mapos Buang [bzh], Mesem [mci], Musom [msu], Numbami [sij], Safeyoka [apz], Sio [xsi], Tami [tmy].

Language Development

Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 1924–1980.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Yabem
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Christian.