Timbe

A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3

Population

11,000 (1991 SIL). 60% monolingual (women and older men).

Location

Morobe Province, Kabwum district, Timbe river valley and tributaries.

Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification

Dialects

Central Timbe, North Timbe, South Timbe.

Typology

SOV

Language Use

Vigorous. Weliki [klh] use Timbe as L2. All domains, including education. All ages. Positive attitudes. Also use Tok Pisin [tpi] or Kâte [kmg].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 50%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%–75%. Poetry. NT: 1987.

Writing

Latin script.

Other Comments

Christian, traditional religion.