Sissano

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
sso
Alternate Names
Sinama, Sinano, Sisano
Population

300 (Wurm 2000). In 1990, 4,780 speakers were reported and language use was vigorous. The 1998 tsunami almost completely annihilated the population. Number of surviving speakers unlikely to exceed a few hundred (Wurm 2007).

Location

Sandaun Province, Aitape district, Sissano area.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, North New Guinea, Schouten, Siau
Dialects

Related to Arop-Sissano [aps], Malol [mbk], Sera [sry], Tumleo [tmq], Yakamul [ykm], and Ulau-Suain [svb].

Typology

SVO

Language Use

Seriously endangered (2000 S. Wurm).

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 15%–25%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%–75%. Bible portions: 2011.
Writing
Latin script.