Page Type: languageMussau-Emira | Ethnologue

EMI ISO 639-3

Mussau-Emira

Emira, Mussau Autonym

A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639
emi
Alternate Names
Emira-Mussau, Musao, Musau-Emira
Autonym
Emira, Mussau
Population
6,000 (2015 SIL), increasing. Ethnic population: 6,000 (2015 SIL). Includes 3,500 in the traditional area (2015 J. Brownie).
Location:
New Ireland province: Emira, Mussau, and Saint Matthias Islands northwest of Kavieng; Goroka, Kavieng, Lae, Madang, and Port Moresby.
Language Status
5 (Developing).
Classification
Austronesian, Malayo-Polynesian, Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian, Oceanic, St. Matthias
Dialects
Emira (Emirau), Western Mussau, Southern Mussau, Eastern Mussau.
Typology
SVO; noun head initial; dual, trial and paucal numbers; causatives; 11 consonants and 5 vowels; stress on penultimate syllable; inclusive/exclusive pronouns; alienable/inalienable possession.
Language Use
Vigorous. Spoken by nearly all. Passed on to children in the traditional area, and some elsewhere, except in mixed marriages. Tenis ethnic group also uses Emira dialect. Most domains, local administration, commerce, education in early grades, oral and some written use in church, personal letters. Used by all. Positive attitudes. All also use Tok Pisin [tpi]. Most also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Tenis [tns].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 80%–95%. Literacy rate in L2: 80%–95% Tok Pisin [tpi] and English [eng]. Schooling declined for a few years from 1999 due to poor economy, and literacy rates then declined, but are now increasing again (2015 J. Brownie). Taught in primary schools. Literature. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2018.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Mussau-Emira
Writing
Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments
Christian.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: New Ireland province: Emira, Mussau, and Saint Matthias Islands northwest of Kavieng; Goroka, Kavieng, Lae, Madang, and Port Moresby.