Abau

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
aau
Alternate Names
Green River
Population

7,270 (2000 census), increasing. No monolinguals.

Location

Sandaun Province, Green River district, Sepik and Green rivers.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Sepik, Abau
Dialects

Central Abau, Down-river, Down-river border, Up-river.

Typology

SOV; nominative-accusative orientation

Language Use

Dialect differences are such that (especially young) people from different dialects use Tok Pisin [tpi] between them. Tok Pisin is favored if non-Abau speakers are present. Family, village disputes, cultural events. All ages, but increasingly youth prefer Tok Pisin [tpi].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 60% (children higher, adults lower). Vernacular education mostly effective. Taught in primary schools. Poetry. Grammar. NT: 2006.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Abau
Writing
Latin script.