Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Big Sepik, No. 2 Sepik, Middle Sepik, Gepma Kwudi, Gepma Kwundi, Ngepma Kwundi, Nyaura
CLASSIFICATION		Sepik, Ndu
ORTHOGRAPHY		Latin
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		ian
VARIANTS & DIALECTS		Nyaura (Western) Palimbei (Central and Eastern Iatmul)
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “A grammar of Iatmul” . Jendraschek, Gerd (2012)

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
46,000
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
6,000 speakers in 9 villages in the Western (Nyaula) area; 5,000 speakers in 7 villages in the Central (Pali'bei) area; 5,000 speakers in 7 villages in the Eastern (Waliakwi) area; 7,000 speakers in ~10 villages in the Northern (Maligwat) area; 23,000 diaspora speakers.

DATE OF INFO: 2008

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

"It is the native language of almost all adults, but relegated to second-language status among children, who could be labelled semi-speakers."

SPEAKER ATTITUDE

"[T]he traditionally high status of Iatmul culture could explain why there has been a recent reversal among adult Iatmul, who, at least in their rhetoric, are opposed to language shift, and criticize children speaking Tok Pisin."

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Tok Pisin [tpi]
English [eng]

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"Today, Tok Pisin is the language best known in the Iatmul villages, as all generations are fluent in it and it is the first language of children."

PLACES: Papua New Guinea

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: East Sepik Province: "along and close to a stretch of the Sepik River about 80 kilometres south-west of Wewak"

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
8,440
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
(SIL)

DATE OF INFO: 2003

Scripts (Writing system): Latin

PLACES: Papua New Guinea

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: "East Sepik Province, Ambunti and Angoram districts, Sepik river, Tambunum to Japandai, Kundungay area villages."

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
9,842
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 1970

PLACES: Papua New Guinea

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: 27 villages: Angriman, Kaminimbit, Kararau, Mindimbit, Tambanum, Timbunke, Wombun, Mumeri, Indabu, Japanaut, Japandai, Kandingai, Kanganaman, Korogo, Malingai, Nyaurengai, Parambei, Suapmeri, Tegoi, Yamanumbu, Yentchanmangua, Yentchan, Aibom, Arinjone, Lukluk, Timbunmeri, and Brugnowi.

			2014	Glottolog 2.3					Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology		http://glottolog.org	Hammarström, Harald & Forkel, Robert & Haspelmath, Martin & Nordhoff, Sebastian	Hammarström, Harald & Forkel, Robert & Haspelmath, Martin & Nordhoff, Sebastian. 2014. Glottolog 2.3. Leipzig: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. (Available online at http://glottolog.org)																-4.30, 143.32
	18th		2015	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 18th Edition		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig	SIL International	Dallas, Texas			http://www.ethnologue.com		Lewis, M. Paul, Gary F. Simons, and Charles D. Fennig (eds.). 2015. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Eighteenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.	8,440	2003	1000-9999	(SIL)					Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Papua New Guinea	"East Sepik Province, Ambunti and Angoram districts, Sepik river, Tambunum to Japandai, Kundungay area villages."
Pacific Linguistics		B 25	1973	Sepik languages: checklist and preliminary classification		Wurm, Stephen A.	Australian National University, Research School of Pacific Studies, Department of Linguistics	Canberra				Laycock, Donald C.		9,842	1970	1000-9999						Threatened (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)					Papua New Guinea	27 villages: Angriman, Kaminimbit, Kararau, Mindimbit, Tambanum, Timbunke, Wombun, Mumeri, Indabu, Japanaut, Japandai, Kandingai, Kanganaman, Korogo, Malingai, Nyaurengai, Parambei, Suapmeri, Tegoi, Yamanumbu, Yentchanmangua, Yentchan, Aibom, Arinjone, Lukluk, Timbunmeri, and Brugnowi.
			2012	A grammar of Iatmul	Habilitationsschrift			Regensburg	Fakultät für Sprach-, Literatur- und Kulturwissenschaften	Universität Regensburg		Jendraschek, Gerd		46,000	2008	10000-99999	6,000 speakers in 9 villages in the Western (Nyaula) area; 5,000 speakers in 7 villages in the Central (Pali'bei) area; 5,000 speakers in 7 villages in the Eastern (Waliakwi) area; 7,000 speakers in ~10 villages in the Northern (Maligwat) area; 23,000 diaspora speakers.	government, school, church	Tok Pisin [tpi], English [eng]	"[T]he traditionally high status of Iatmul culture could explain why there has been a recent reversal among adult Iatmul, who, at least in their rhetoric, are opposed to language shift, and criticize children speaking Tok Pisin."	"Today, Tok Pisin is the language best known in the Iatmul villages, as all generations are fluent in it and it is the first language of children."	Threatened (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	11	"It is the native language of almost all adults, but relegated to second-language status among children, who could be labelled semi-speakers."	13	12	Papua New Guinea	East Sepik Province: "along and close to a stretch of the Sepik River about 80 kilometres south-west of Wewak"

Iatmul

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

46,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

8,440

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

9,842

Discussion

Iatmul

Language metadata

Language information by source

Threatened

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

46,000

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

8,440

Threatened

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

9,842

Discussion

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