Mengen

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
mee
Alternate Names
Poeng
User Population

4,000 (2001 SIL).

Location

East New Britain province: Pomio district, Jacquinot bay and inland, 20 villages; West New Britain province: Talasea district, coast, Bismark Sea.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, North New Guinea, Ngero-Vitiaz, Vitiaz, Mengen
Dialects

North Coast Mengen (Maeng, Maenge, Orford), South Coast Mengen (Poeng), Bush Mengen (Inland Mengen, Longueinga). Some linguists separate Poeng (South Coast Mengen and Bush Mengen) and Maeng (North Coast Mengen) into 2 languages.

Typology

SVO.

Language Use

All domains. Used by all. All also use Tok Pisin [tpi]. Used as L2 by Meramera [mxm], Sulka [sua].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 5%–15%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. NT: 2003–2018.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mengen
Writing

Latin script [Latn].