Amara
[aka Longa, Bibling]Classification: Austronesian
·endangered
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Endangered
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
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<231
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231
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"For a total population count, the team combined the projected population for Siamatai (139) with the reported population for Niuniuiai (42) and Natamou (50), due to the confidence with which interviewees gave the population estimate in Niuniuiai and the large discrepancy between the projected population and the reported population in Natamou."
- DATE OF INFO
- 2011
- DOMAINS OF USE
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- SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS
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- TRANSMISSION
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- MORE ON VITALITY
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"Children in Siamatai are taught Amara early and encouraged to use it frequently. Children [in Niuniuai and Natamou] do not learn Amara early and are not placed in environments where Amara language use would be practically beneficial to them, with a result of very low or no language use."
"Amara dominates the domains of language use in Siamatai. The people reported that arguing, joking, and planning cultural events centred on weddings and funerals are only conducted in Amara."
"In Niuniuiai... [t]here are no domains that are reserved for Amara only. Each event that happens in the home or village, including the organisation of cultural events, is mixed between Amara and Bariai."
"In Natamou, all home and village domains are conducted in Maleu-Kilenge."
- SPEAKER ATTITUDE
- Mixed/positive
- INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT
- Amara-language Siamatai elementary school
- OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY
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Tok Pisin
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Bariai
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Maleu-Kilenge
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Lusi
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Kove
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Mouk
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Aria
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Anem
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English
- LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS
"The only school inside the Amara language area is the Siamatai elementary school. This lack of access to schools in the language area pushes the Amara people to meet the educational needs of their children by sending them outside the language area where they are exposed more intensely to neighbouring vernaculars."
"High internal prestige is found in Siamatai where the language is still vital. Low internal prestige and faint sentimental attachments to the language are resulting in ongoing language shift in Niuniuiai and completed language shift in Natamou."
"...[M]ales and females of each age group are actively bilingual in Bariai, Maleu-Kilenge, and Tok Pisin."
- More on Orthography
No writing system is specifically mentioned, but one can infer its existence by the fact that there are school books in the language and community members have apparently asked SIL for more Amara books; e.g., "There are teacher’s guides available to the staff that were originally provided in English and then translated to Bariai. However, the teachers of Siamatai translated them into Amara for use in Siamatai."
- PLACES
- Papua New Guinea
- LOCATION DESCRIPTION
West New Britain: villages of Siamatai, Niuniuiai, and Natamou.
- ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
"There are three Amara villages: Siamatai, Niuniuiai, and Natamou. Natamou is located ten kilometres east of the nearest government station, Cape Gloucester; Siamatai is located 40 kilometres east of the government station; and Niuniuiai is located between Natamou and Siamatai. The Amara language area is about 150 kilometres west of Kimbe, the closest population centre."
"All three Amara villages are located closer to either Bariai or Maleu-Kilenge villages than they are to each other."