Bamu
A language of Papua New Guinea
| Population | 6,310 (2000 census). 964 Gama. |
| Region | Western Province, Bamu River mouth and upriver. |
| Language map |
Papua New Guinea, Map 14, reference number 669 |
| Alternate names | Bamu Kiwai |
| Dialects | Gama, Lower Bamu, Sisiame, Upper Bamu (Middle Bamu), Nuhiro. Gama dialect may be a separate language. Closely related to Kiwai; less closely to Waboda [kmx]. Lexical similarity: below 80% between Gama and Lower Bamu, the most similar other Bamu dialect. |
| Classification | Trans-New Guinea, Kiwaian |
| Language development | Literacy rate in L1: 5%–10%. Literacy rate in L2: 5%–15%. Bible portions: 1952–2001. |
| Writing system | Latin script. |
| Comments | Hunter-gatherers. |
Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:
Academic Publications
Anonymous. 2011. Bamu Organised Phonology Data.
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CARR, Chris; CARR, Phil, compilers. 2012. Bamu Dictionary.
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CARR, Patricia Chris; CARR, Philip, authors. 1993. "Bamu language speakers produce books."
MEYER, Jens, author. 2005. "Practical teacher training: a short skills course with the Bamu people of Western Province."
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