Siawi

A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639: mmp
Alternate Names: Musa, Musan, Musian, Siafli, Siwai
Population: 220 (2007 NTM), increasing.
Location:: Sandaun province: south of Sepik river, between Amto and Ama. 1 village.
Language Status: 6b (Threatened).
Classification: Amto-Musan
Dialects: None known. Lexical similarity: 29% with Amto [amt]. Amto and Siawi 3% lexical similarity with Odiai [bhf]. Both average 7% lexical similarity with Arai (Left May) languages.
Typology: SOV; postpositions, genitives before noun heads; adjectives after noun heads; relatives without noun heads; question word final; maximum prefixes: 1, maximum suffixes: 3, causatives; comparatives; CV, CVV, CVVV, CCV, CCCV; nontonal.
Language Use: All domains, except with outsiders. Some young people, all adults. Positive attitudes. Also use Amto [amt], especially adult men. Also use Tok Pisin [tpi], especially most young people. Used as L2 by Amto [amt].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 60%–65%. Literacy rate in L2: 60%–65% in Tok Pisin [tpi]. Most children literate. NT: 1977–2013.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Siawi
Writing: Latin script [Latn].
Other Comments: Christian, traditional religion.

Location: Sandaun province: south of Sepik river, between Amto and Ama. 1 village.