Abau | Ethnologue

A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639: aau
Alternate Names: Green River
Autonym: Abau
Population: 7,500 (Lock 2008), increasing. No monolinguals (Lock 2008).
Location:: Sandaun province: Green River district, Sepik and Green rivers.
Language Status: 5 (Developing).
Classification: Sepik, Abau
Dialects: Central Abau, Downriver Abau, Downriver border Abau, Upriver Abau (Oriyai).
Typology: SOV; nominative-accusative orientation.
Language Use: Dialect differences are such that (especially young) people from different dialects use Tok Pisin [tpi] between them. Tok Pisin is favored if non-Abau speakers are present. Village gatherings; Mixed use: home, community. Used by all, but increasingly youth prefer Tok Pisin [tpi]. All also use Tok Pisin [tpi] (Lock 2011). A few also use English [eng] (Lock 2011).
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 80%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%–80%. Vernacular education mostly effective. Taught in primary schools. Literature. Grammar. Texts. NT: 2006–2013.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Abau
Writing: Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments: Christian.

Location: Sandaun province: Green River district, Sepik and Green rivers.