Kaninuwa

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A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3
wat
Alternate Names
Kaokao, Wataluma
Population

360 (2001). 10% monolingual. Ethnic population: 510.

Location

Milne Bay Province, Sivesive village and 1 other; 2 villages north of Goodenough island.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, Papuan Tip, Nuclear, North Papuan Mainland-D’Entrecasteaux, Are-Taupota, Are
Dialects

Lexical similarity: 51% with Iduna [viv] (most similar).

Language Use

Potentially endangered (2000 D. Tryon). Most domains. All ages. Also use Bwaidoka [bwd], Motu [meu], or Iduna [viv].

Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: High. Highly literate in English.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Kaninuwa
Writing
Latin script.
Other Comments

Glossonym: Kaokao, by others on Goodenough Island; Wataluma, in adjacent mission station name.