Biangai

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
big
Population

1,400 (1991 SIL). 50% monolingual.

Location

Morobe Province, Wau district, Bulolo river headwaters. 7 villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Trans-New Guinea, Southeast Papuan, Goilalan, Kunimaipa
Dialects

Ngowiye, Yongolei.

Typology

SOV

Language Use

Some also use Tok Pisin [tpi].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 50%. Literacy rate in L2: 75%–100%. Literacy rate in L1 dropped due to adult reader deaths and the shift of children to Tok Pisin [tpi]. Literacy rate in L2 remains high due to the number of children attending school. NT: 1985.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Biangai
Writing
Latin script.