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). 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. Also use Kobon [kpw], Tok Pisin [tpi]. Used as L2 by Pinai-Hagahai [pnn].

Language Development
NT: 2010.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Haruai
Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

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