Ulwa

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
yla
Alternate Names
Yaul
User Population

700 (Barlow 2018). Ethnic population: 3,900 (Barlow 2018).

Location

East Sepik province: Angoram district, Dimiri, Manu, Maruat, and Yaul villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

8a (Moribund).

Classification
Mongol-Langam
Dialects

Manu, Maruat-Dimiri-Yaul. Dialects are mutually intelligible (Barlow 2018). Lexical similarity: 40% with Mwakai [mgt], 40% with Pondi [lnm] (Barlow 2020b).

Typology

SOV; Postpositions; Isolating morphology; Nominative-Accusative; Verbal affixation marks transitivity, tense, aspect, and mood; Consonants: 13, Vowels: 6; Non-tonal (Barlow 2018).

Language Use

Even fluent speakers of Ulwa [yla] communicate almost entirely in Tok Pisin (Barlow 2018). Older adults only. All shifted to Tok Pisin [tpi] (Barlow 2018). Some also use Ap Ma [kbx] (Barlow 2018). Some also use Biwat [bwm] (Barlow 2018).

Language Development

Grammar.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ulwa
Other Comments

Christian, traditional religion.