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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Pacific > Papua New Guinea > Maleu-Kilenge

Maleu-Kilenge

A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639-3mgl

Population  5,200 (1983 census). 1,561 Kilenge.
Region  West New Britain Province, Talasea District west tip.
Language map  Papua New Guinea, Map 12, reference number 603
Alternate names   Idne
Dialects  Maleu, Kilenge (Kaitarolea). Lexical similarity: 93% between Maleu and Kilenge dialects.
Classification  Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, Western Oceanic, North New Guinea, Ngero-Vitiaz, Vitiaz, Kilenge-Maleu
Language use  All or nearly the whole Kilenge group speaks Kilenge. Kilenge dialect: all ages.
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: 25%–50%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%–75%. Bible portions: 1990.
Writing system  Latin script.
Comments  Wurm and Hattori (1981), and M. Ross (1988) treat Maleu and Kilenge dialects as separate languages. SVO. Swidden agriculturalists.

Entries from the SIL Bibliography about this language:

Academic Publications

HAYWOOD, Graham, author. 1994. Maleu Organised Phonology Data.  Available online

HAYWOOD, Graham; HAYWOOD, Irene, authors. 1980. "The languages and communities of north-western New Britain."