Kiwai, Northeast

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
kiw
Alternate Names
Urama-Kope
User Population

6,000 (2011 SIL).

Location

Gulf province.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Trans-New Guinea, Kiwaian
Dialects

Gibaio, Kope (Era River, Gope), Urama, Anigibi (Arigibi), Fomomoto (Era). The differences between Urama and Kope, and Anigibi and Kope, are of a similar significance (2018 H. Schulz).

Typology

SOV; noun head final; dual and trial numbers; case-marking (5 cases); verb marks subject person and number; 6 tenses (2 past, present, 3 future); 12 consonants and 5 vowels (Urama dialect).

Language Use

Used by all. Some also use English [eng]. Some also use Tok Pisin [tpi], increasing among younger generations and those who have travelled for work. A few also use Hiri Motu [hmo], mostly spoken by the elderly generation.

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 15%–25%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Literature. Videos. Dictionary. Texts. Bible portions: 1987.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kiwai, Northeast
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Wurm and Hattori (1981) treat Arigibi dialect as a separate language.