Ulwa

A language of Papua New Guinea

ISO 639: yla
Alternate Names: Yaul
Population: 700 (Barlow 2018). Ethnic population: 3,900 (Barlow 2018).
Location:: East Sepik province: Angoram district, Dimiri, Manu, Maruat, and Yaul villages.
Language Status: 8a (Moribund).
Classification: Mongol-Langam
Dialects: Manu, Maruat-Dimiri-Yaul. Dialects are mutually intelligible (Barlow 2018). Lexical similarity: 40% with Mwakai [mgt], 40% with Pondi [lnm] (Barlow 2020b).
Typology: SOV; Postpositions; Isolating morphology; Nominative-Accusative; Verbal affixation marks transitivity, tense, aspect, and mood; Consonants: 13, Vowels: 6; Non-tonal (Barlow 2018).
Language Use: Even fluent speakers of Ulwa [yla] communicate almost entirely in Tok Pisin (Barlow 2018). Older adults only. All shifted to Tok Pisin [tpi] (Barlow 2018). Some also use Ap Ma [kbx] (Barlow 2018). Some also use Biwat [bwm] (Barlow 2018).
Language Development: Grammar.
Other Comments: Christian, traditional religion.

Location: East Sepik province: Angoram district, Dimiri, Manu, Maruat, and Yaul villages.