Languages of Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is the country with the greatest number and diversity of languages ​​in the world ( depending on the source 700-860 languages).

It is part of the range of Papuan and Austronesian languages ​​of.

The languages ​​of Papua New Guinea

Traffic languages

As a lingua franca in multilingual PNG are in addition to the official language English and the creole Tok Pisin and Hiri Motu (Police Motu, Motu Pidgin ) spread, with Tok Pisin continues to spread at the expense of widespread, especially in the formerly British part Hiri Motu.

The creole Tok Pisin

Main article: Tok Pisin.

Hiri Motu

The Hiri Motu language based on the language of the Motu, who dominated the police force at the time of British colonial rule. Hence the designation Police Motu. Furthermore it was of great importance as a trade language. The alternative name Hiri trading language suggests still out.

The Austronesian languages

Of the - depending on specification - 700 to more than 800 separate languages ​​of Papua New Guinea are about 200 Austronesian languages ​​that are spoken by about one-sixth of the population. The rest are distributed among 13 other language groups.

The non- Austronesian languages

The 13 non- Austronesian language groups have few similarities with each other. Often, these languages ​​are referred to as Papuan.

The Trans - New Guinea languages

The largest of these groups is that of the Trans - New Guinea languages ​​with more than 300 different languages. The languages ​​Simbu and Enga with about 138,000 or 165,000 are speakers of the biggest languages ​​of this group.

Other language groups

The other language groups are:

  • In Sandaun (West Sepik ), East Sepik and Madang: Sepik / Ramu ( consists of several individual families, a total of about 100 languages, such as Yimas )
  • Torricelli (about 50 languages)
  • East Papuan languages ​​( 30 languages)
  • Sko ( 7 languages ​​in Sandaun Province )
  • Arai ( 6 languages ​​in East Sepik )
  • Kwomtari (4 languages ​​in Sandaun Province )
  • Amto - Musian (2 languages ​​in Sandaun Province )
  • Busa in Sandaun Province
  • Nagataman in Sandaun Province
  • Yuri languages ​​in Sandaun Province
  • Porome in Gulf
  • Maisin in Oro
  • Kwomtari - Baibai
  • Our German ( German -based creole language around the town of Rabaul, today only less than a hundred speakers)

The role of the church languages ​​in Papua New Guinea

Missionaries have used local languages ​​as the medium and widely used beyond their original territory. Since English is the main language used in schools, the importance of the so-called Church of languages ​​has decreased.

Examples of church languages ​​:

  • Lutheran Church: Kate (originally only spoken in a few villages around Finschhafen, distributed by the Lutheran Church ), Gedaged ( Madang ), Yabem ( Morobe )
  • Anglican Church: Binandere ( Oro ), Wedau ( Milne Bay Province )
  • Methodist Church: Dobu, Kuanua
  • London Missionary Society: Kiwai ( in the west), Motu ( Central PNG), Suau, Toaripi
Motuan people Enga Province Yimas language Bougainville Island Left May languages Finschhafen District Gedaged language Morobe, Papua New Guinea Dobu Island Tolai language
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