Page Type: languageBaikeno | Ethnologue

BKX ISO 639-3

Baikeno

Baikeno, Uab Metô Autonym

A language of East Timor

ISO 639
bkx
Alternate Names
Ambeno, Ambenu, Atoni, Baikenu, Biqueno, Laes Baikeno, Lais Meto, Molok Meto, Oe Cusi, Oecusse, Oecussi, Oekusi, Uab Atoni Pah Meto, Uab Pah Meto, Vaikenu, Vaikino, “Dawan” (pej.)
Autonym
Baikeno, Uab Metô
Population
81,700 (2020 World Factbook). Several thousand speakers in Dili and Indonesian west Timor. 15 clans of Nu’af (mountains); 3 clans of Amnesat (plains). Many monolinguals.
Location:
Oecusse municipality: enclave separated from the rest of East Timor.
Language Status
6a (Vigorous).
Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Timor-Babar, Nuclear Timor, Uab Meto
Dialects
Nu’af, Amnesat. Part of Uab Meto chain of closely related languages and dialects. Partial intelligibility of the Uab Meto [aoz] of Amfo’an, northern Mollo, and Insana. Significant differences with Amarasi [aaz] block intelligibility.
Language Use
Vigorous. All domains. Used by all. Also use Indonesian [ind], but for many only with difficulty. Also use Portuguese [por], but less than 1% can perform job-related functions in it. Also use Tetun Dili [tdt], but only those who have acquired it for study or work.
Language Development
Bible portions: 2004.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Baikeno
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Speakers see themselves as part of the wider Atoni cultural, linguistic, and historical network, in contrast to Tetun, Helong, or Rote. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Oecusse municipality: enclave separated from the rest of East Timor.