Tayap

A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639: gpn
Alternate Names: Gapun, Taiap
Population: 20 (Kulick and Terrill 2019), decreasing. Ethnic population: 300 (Kulick and Terrill 2019).
Location:: East Sepik province: Gapun village.
Language Status: 8a (Moribund).
Classification: Language isolate
Dialects: None known. Not closely related to any other language.
Typology: SOV; 2 gender classes (masculine, feminine/inanimate); verb affixes mark person, number and gender of subject and object; no tenses; 3 moods (realis, irrealis, hypothetical); 15 consonants and 6 vowels.
Language Use: Older adults only. Negative attitudes. All shifted to Tok Pisin [tpi] (Kulick and Terrill 2019).
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 15%–25%. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts.
Other Comments: Christian, traditional religion.

Location: East Sepik province: Gapun village.