Minaveha

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
mvn
Alternate Names
Kukuya, Minavega
Autonym
Minaveha
User Population

2,300 (2007 SIL), increasing. 500 monolinguals (2001 UNESCO).

Location

Milne Bay province: Bolubolu district, southwest Fergusson island near Mapamoiwa station.

Language Maps
Language Status

4 (Educational).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, Papuan Tip, Nuclear, North Papuan Mainland-D’Entrecasteaux, Are-Taupota, Taupota
Dialects

None known. Lexical similarity: 60% with Iamalele [yml] (most similar), Koluwawa [klx], and Bwaidoka [bwd].

Typology

SOV.

Language Use

Vigorous. All domains except in Catholic Churches, where there is mixed use with other languages (2001 UNESCO). Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Bwaidoka [bwd]. Also use Dobu [dob]. Also use English [eng], steadily increasingly. Also use Iamalele [yml]. Also use Koluwawa [klx]. Also use Molima [mox]. Used as L2 by Koluwawa [klx].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 62%. Literacy rate in L2: 15%–25%. 1,100 can read, 400 can write. Taught in primary schools in early grades only. Literature. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 2008.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Minaveha
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

Little arable land, and population increase endangers the future of agriculture (2001 UNESCO). Traditional religion, Christian.