Haruai

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
tmd
Alternate Names
Harway, Taman, Waibuk, Wiyau, Wiyaw, Wovan
Population

2,000 (2000 SIL). Many monolinguals.

Location

Madang Province southwest, southwest Mid-Ramu district, west Schrader range, west of the Kobon [kpw] language area.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Piawi
Dialects

Central Waibuk (Mambar), North Waibuk (Hamil), South Waibuk (Arama). Related to Pinai-Hagahai [pnn], though not inherently intelligible. Word taboo practiced, but does not seem to impede intelligibility among related language varieties. Lexical similarity: 37% with Pinai-Hagahai [pnn], 35% with Kobon [kpw].

Typology

SOV; postpositions (few); genitives precede noun heads; possessives, adjectives, numerals, relative clauses follow noun heads; postclitic demonstratives; suffixes; V, CV, VC, CVC

Language Use

Speeches and sermons by outsiders always translated into Haruai. All ages. Most also use Tok Pisin [tpi] or Kobon [kpw].

Language Development
NT: 2010.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Haruai
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Some similarities to Kalam languages due to borrowing (Comrie 1988). More loanwords from Kobon used in the northern area.