Info on each language group below is from the Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Twenty-third edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.
Abau (aau) SALT Course
Saudaun Province, PNG: Green River District, Sepik. 5 (Developing) Language. 7,500+ speakers.
Alamblak (amp) SALT Course
East Sepik province, PNG: Angoram district. 9 villages on Middle Karawari and Wagupmeri rivers. Another dialect has 4 villages near Kuvanmas lake. 6b (Threatened) Language. 1,530 speakers.
Amele (aey) SALT Course
Madang province, PNG: Madang district, hills up from Astrolabe bay, between Gum and Gogol rivers. 40 hamlets. 6b (Threatened) Language. 5,300 speakers.
Angaathiha (agm) SALT Course
Morobe province, PNG: Menyamya district. 5 (Developing) Language.
Arapesh (aah) SALT Course
East Sepik province, PNG: Maprik district, Mablep Rural LLG, ward 8; Sandaun province: Aitape district, East Aitape Rural LLG, wards 23, 24, 25. 6b (Threatened) Language. 2,560 speakers.
Arop-Lokep (apr) SALT Course
Madang province, PNG: Saidor district, Long and Crown islands (Arop dialect); Morobe province: Siassi district, Tolokiwa island and northwest tip of Umboi island (Lokep dialect). Vitiaz Strait, Siassi chain, 4 islands. 5 (Developing) Language. 4,500 speakers.
Pele-Ata (ata) SALT Course
East New Britain province, PNG: Mamusi-West Pomio RLLG; West New Britain province: Talasea district, inland from Bongula bay in Nakanai mountains. 5 (Developing) Language. 2,000 speakers.
Bariai (bch) SALT Course
West New Britain province, PNG: east of Cape Gloucester, northwest coast. 5 (Developing) Language. 1,400 speakers.
Bola (bnp) SALT Course
West New Britain province, PNG: Willaumez peninsula northeast coast, Harua east of Kimbe. 5 (Developing) Language. 13,700 speakers.
Borong (ksr) SALT Course
Morobe province, PNG: Finschhafen district, central Huon peninsula between Kuat and Burum rivers. 5 villages and 5 hamlets, Lae and others. 5 (Developing) Language. 2,200 speakers.
Bo-Ung (mux) SALT Course
Western Highlands province, PNG: Hagen, Lower Kaugel, and Tambul districts. 5 (Developing) Language. 40,900 speakers.
Dedua (ded) SALT Course
Morobe province, PNG: Sialum district, Masaweng and Tewae rivers’ headwaters, south of Mount Besenona. 19 villages. 5 (Developing) Language. 6,500 speakers.
Dibiyaso (dby) SALT Course
Western province, PNG: Bamustu, Makapa, and Pikiwa villages. 6a (Vigorous) Language. 1,950 speakers.
Filifita (aoj) SALT Course
East Sepik province, PNG: Maprik district, Torricelli mountains, west of Maprik. 36 villages. 5 (Developing) Language. 6,000 speakers.
Imbo-Ungu (imo) SALT Course
Southern Highlands province, PNG: Ialibu district. 5 (Developing) Language. 42,500 speakers.
Iyo (nca) SALT Course
Madang province, PNG: Finisterre mountains’ south slopes along Nahu and Bure rivers; north slopes along Kipuro and Kasang rivers; Morobe province: northwest Markham district. 6a (Vigorous) Language. 6,900 Speakers.
Kandawo (gam) SALT Course
Chimbu province, PNG: isolated border areas; Madang province: Usino-Bundi district, Bundi LLG; Western Highlands province, PNG: Hagen district, upper Jimi headwaters, Mount Wilhelm slopes. 5 (Developing) Language. 4,000 Speakers.
Kein (bmh) SALT Course
Madang province, PNG: Trans-Gogol district. 6b (Threatened) Language. 1,750 Speakers.
Korafe (kpr) SALT II Course
Oro province, PNG: Tufi district, Cape Nelson headlands. 5 (Developing) Language. 3,630 Speakers.
Kuman (kue) SALT Course
Chimbu province, PNG: northern third; Eastern Highlands province: Daulo, Lufa and Unggai-Benna Lufa districts. 3 (Wider communication). Major area language used as a trade language for all the other Chimbu languages. 115,000 Speakers.
Malei (hot) SALT Course
Morobe province, PNG: Lae district, Francisco river area. 5 (Developing) Language). 2,300 Speakers.
Mandara (tbf) SALT Course
New Ireland province, PNG: Simberi, Tabar, Tatau. 5 (Developing) Language. 4,000 Speakers.
Marik (dad) SALT Course
Madang province, PNG: Madang district, Gogol river area inland. 10 villages. 5 (Developing) Language. 3,500 Speakers.
Mekeo (mek) SALT Course
Central province, PNG: Kaiyuku district, inland, west boundary is Waima, east are Kuni [kse] and Kunimaipa [kup] language areas; into Gulf province. 5 (Developing) Language. 19,000 Speakers.
Menya (mcr) SALT Course
Gulf province, PNG: Karema district, Naniwe area; Morobe province: Menyamya district, north Tauri river area and tributaries. 6b (Threatened) Language. 25,000 Speakers.
Miniafia (aai) SALT Course
Oro province, PNG: Tufi district, Cape Nelson and Collingwood Bay, 4 coastal locations. 20 to 25 villages. 5 (Developing) Language. 3,470 Speakers.
Nepali (npi) SALT Course
Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language of the sub-branch of Eastern Pahari. It is the official language of Nepal. The Ethnologue reports 12,300,000 speakers within Nepal (from the 2011 census). 44.6% of the population of Nepal speaks Nepali as their first language. 32.8% speaks Nepali as their second language.
Nobonob (gaw) SALT Course
Madang province, PNG: Madang district. 5 (Developing) Language. 5,000 Speakers.
Numanggang (nop) SALT Course
Morobe province, PNG: Lae district, north of Nadzab. 10 villages; Lae, Mount Hagen, and Rabaul. 5 (Developing) Language. 2,300 Speakers.
Ramoaaina (rai) SALT Course
East New Britain province, PNG: Kokopo district, Duke of York Islands. 5 (Developing) Language. 10,500 Speakers.
Saniyo (sny) SALT Course
East Sepik province, PNG: Ambunti district, Wogamus river basin foothills; Sandaun province: Telefomin district, southeast of Wano river; Hiyowe dialect: Maposi village; Saniyo dialect: Hanasi, Malapute’e, Pukapuki, Salunapi, and Sio villages. 5 (Developing) Language. 1,300 Speakers.
Solomon Islands Pijin (pis) SALT Course
3 (Wider communication). Originated on the sugar cane plantations in Queensland, Australia between 1863 and 1906; lingua franca spoken between Kanakas (Melanesian workers) and European overseers. In 1904, at end of labor trade period, repatriated Solomon Islanders brought pidgin to the Solomon Islands. Widely spoken by majority of population. 548,400, all users. L1 users: 24,400 (1999 SIL). L2 users: 524,000 (2018).
Somba-Siawari (bmu) SALT Course
Morobe province, PNG: Finschhafen district, Central Huon peninsula, Lae south of Cromwell Range, Burum river valley and west slopes of Kuat river; scattered in Port Moresby. 30 villages. 5 (Developing) Language. 10,000 Speakers.
Sursurunga (sgz) SALT Course
New Ireland province, PNG: Namatanai district. 5 (Developing) Language. 3,000 Speakers.
Sursurunga (sgz) SALT II Course
New Ireland province, PNG: Namatanai district. 5 (Developing) Language. 3,000 Speakers.
Tabo (knv) SALT Course
Western province, PNG: lower Aramia river, Alagi, Galu, Saiwase, and Waya villages; Bamu river, Alikinapi village; lower Fly river, Kenedibi, Urio, and Wagumi-Sarau villages; Segero Creek, Segero village. 5 (Developing) Languages. 3,000 Speakers.
Tok Pisin (tpi) SALT Course
Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin. 4,122,000 in Papua New Guinea, all users. L1 users: 122,000 in Papua New Guinea (2004 SIL). L2 users: 4,000,000. 50,000 monolinguals. Total users in all countries: 4,125,740 (as L1: 125,740; as L2: 4,000,000).
Urat (urt) SALT Course
East Sepik province, PNG: Dreikikir district, southwest of Wom, south of Kombio. 20 villages, several hamlets. 6b (Threatened) Language. 6,280 Speakers.
Waima (rro) SALT Course
Central province, PNG: Bereina district, Hall Sound shores between Yule island and mainland, northwest of Port Moresby. 5 (Developing) Language. 12,000 Speakers.
Yopno (yut) SALT Course
Madang and Morobe provincial borders: Finisterre range, PNG. 5 (Developing) Language. 9,000 Speakers.
SALT Asia/Pacific
The SALT Project seeks to encourage a love and wonder of the Scriptures among language communities and to equip local pastors and village leaders to effectively use the translated Scriptures.
SALT encourages the study of the Scriptures in one’s own heart language in order that language communities may develop a clear understanding of the Scriptures and develop a Christian worldview.
Ministry Friends:
QR code
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
License.