Kapin

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
tbx
Alternate Names
Katumene, Sambio, Taiak, Tayek
Population

2,350 (1979 census).

Location

Morobe Province, Mumeng and Bulolo districts, hills southwest of Mumeng, 5 villages; Wau and Lae settlements.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, North New Guinea, Huon Gulf, South, Hote-Buang, Buang
Dialects

Garawa (Gawawa), Kapin. May be part of the Mumeng group of related varieties.

Typology

SVO; prepositions; genitives before nouns, adjectives, numerals, relatives after noun heads; V, CV, CVC, CVV, CVVC, CVCC, VC; nontonal

Language Use

All domains. All ages. Also use Tok Pisin [tpi], Kumalu [ksl], or English [eng].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: Possibly 10% are fluent readers, 25% halting.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kapin
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Traditional religion.