Endangered Languages Project

ALSO KNOWN AS		Karen, Bilakura, Banks-Inseln
CLASSIFICATION		Trans-New Guinea, Madang, Northern Adelbert, Numugenan, Karian-Usan-Yaben
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3; Glottolog
LANGUAGE CODE		bql; bila1257
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search

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Information from: “A Reconstruction of Proto-Northern Adelbert Phonology and Lexicon” . Andrew Pick (2020) ScholarSpace

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available
A few dozen speakers or less
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
There are many more people in the ethnic community than there are speakers of Karian.

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

Tok Pisin is the primary language of most young people.

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

Gildipasi Konsevesen Komiti grassroots cultural revitalization organization

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Tok Pisin
Malas
Mabuso
Mosimo
Wamas

PLACES: Spoken in the mountainous inland area surrounding the Numugen River in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
42
Native speakers worldwide

DATE OF INFO: 2000

PLACES: Papua New Guinea;

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
34
Native speakers worldwide

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available
30
Native speakers worldwide

Critically endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available
34
Native speakers worldwide
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Recent reports still mention thirty-four speakers.

DATE OF INFO: 1981

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

MORE ON VITALITY

Under pressure from closely related larger languages such as Parawen, and from Tok Pisin.

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Parawen
Tok Pisin

More on Orthography

No literacy

PLACES: Papua New Guinea

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Spoken in northeastern Madang Province, on the headwaters of the Gilagil River, due east of Kosilanta.

December		2020	A Reconstruction of Proto-Northern Adelbert Phonology and Lexicon				ScholarSpace		University of Hawai'i at Manoa	https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/73354/1/Pick_hawii_0085A_10891.pdf	Andrew Pick			A few dozen speakers or less		10-99	There are many more people in the ethnic community than there are speakers of Karian.	Tok Pisin, Malas, Mabuso, Mosimo, Wamas	Gildipasi Konsevesen Komiti grassroots cultural revitalization organization	Endangered (80 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	12	Tok Pisin is the primary language of most young people.	14	Spoken in the mountainous inland area surrounding the Numugen River in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea		-4.93,145.56
	3rd	2010	Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger				UNESCO Publishing	Paris		http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas	Christopher Moseley (ed.)	Moseley, Christopher (ed.). 2010. Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger, 3rd edn. http://www.unesco.org/culture/en/endangeredlanguages/atlas. (03 June, 2011.)	ll_pub	34		10-99				Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)						-4.9404,145.5303
		2007	Australasia and the Pacific	Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages	425-577	Christopher Moseley	Routledge	London and New York			Stephen Wurm	Stephen Wurm. 2007. "Australasia and the Pacific." In Encyclopedia of the World's Endangered Languages, edited by Christopher Moseley. 425-577. Routledge.		34	1981	10-99	Recent reports still mention thirty-four speakers.	Parawen, Tok Pisin		Critically Endangered (40 percent certain, based on the evidence available)		Under pressure from closely related larger languages such as Parawen, and from Tok Pisin.	15	Papua New Guinea	Spoken in northeastern Madang Province, on the headwaters of the Gilagil River, due east of Kosilanta.
			World Oral Literature Project							http://www.oralliterature.org		"World Oral Literature Project." Online: http://www.oralliterature.org.		30		10-99				Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)
	16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)			M. Paul Lewis	SIL International	Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub	42	2000	10-99				Severely Endangered (20 percent certain, based on the evidence available)				Papua New Guinea;

Karian

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

A few dozen speakers or less

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

42

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

34

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

30

Critically endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

34

Discussion

Karian

Language metadata

Language information by source

Endangered

80 percent certain, based on the evidence available

A few dozen speakers or less

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

42

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

34

Severely endangered

20 percent certain, based on the evidence available

30

Critically endangered

40 percent certain, based on the evidence available

34

Discussion

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