Languages of Papua New Guinea

{{Languages of

| image = File:Languages_Papua_New_Guinea.png

| country = Papua New Guinea

| official = Tok Pisin, English, Hiri Motu, Papua New Guinean Sign Language

| vernacular = Hiri Motu (in the New Guinea Highlands), Tok Pisin (nationwide)

| immigrant = Chinese

| foreign = French,{{cite web | url=https://edu.pngfacts.com/education-news/png-university-promotes-french-language | title=PNG University promotes French language }}{{cite web | url=https://cooperation-regionale.gouv.nc/en/news/17-09-2021/french-language-celebrated-papua-new-guinea | title=The French Language Celebrated in Papua New Guinea | Coopération Régionale et Relations Extérieures de la Nouvelle-Calédonie }} Indonesian,{{cite web | url=https://cooperation-regionale.gouv.nc/en/news/17-09-2021/french-language-celebrated-papua-new-guinea | title=The French Language Celebrated in Papua New Guinea | Coopération Régionale et Relations Extérieures de la Nouvelle-Calédonie }} Japanese,{{cite web | url=https://www.png.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/11_000001_00008.html | title=Launching of Japanese Language Proficiency Test }} Russian{{cite web | url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/401213/papua-new-guineans-embrace-russian-exchange | title=Papua New Guineans embrace Russian exchange | website=Radio New Zealand | date=17 October 2019 }}

}}

Papua New Guinea, a sovereign state in Oceania, is the most linguistically diverse country in the world.{{Cite news |last=Krishnan |first=Varun B. |date=7 August 2019 |title=Which Country Has Most Number of Languages? Not India |language=en |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/6-of-the-worlds-languages-are-spoken-in-india/article28851168.ece |access-date=14 February 2022}} According to Ethnologue, there are 839 living languages spoken in the country.{{Cite web |title=Papua New Guinea |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PG |website=Ethnologue}} In 2006, Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare stated that "Papua New Guinea has 832 living languages (languages, not dialects)."{{Cite speech |last=Somare |first=Michael T. |event=World Leaders Forum |location=Columbia University, New York |date=21 September 2006 |title=Statement at the World Leaders Forum |url=http://www.pm.gov.pg/pmsoffice/PMsoffice.nsf/pages/D4837E336A7B8BD44A2571F90019BE4E?OpenDocument |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080318055843/http://www.pm.gov.pg/pmsoffice/PMsoffice.nsf/pages/D4837E336A7B8BD44A2571F90019BE4E?OpenDocument |archive-date=18 March 2008 |via=Office of the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea}}{{Cite news |date=24 July 2017 |title=Papua New Guinea's Incredible Linguistic Diversity |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/07/economist-explains-14 |access-date=20 July 2017}}

Most of these are classified as indigenous Papuan languages, which form a diverse sprachbund across the island of New Guinea. There are also many Austronesian languages spoken in Papua New Guinea, most of which are classified as Western Oceanic languages, as well as some Admiralty Islands languages and Polynesian Ellicean–Outlier languages in a few outer islands. Since the late 19th century, West Germanic languages — namely English and German — have also been spoken and adapted into creoles such as Tok Pisin, Torres Strait Creole and Unserdeutsch.

Languages with statutory recognition are Tok Pisin, English, Hiri Motu, and Papua New Guinean Sign Language.There is no specific legislation proclaiming official languages in Papua New Guinea. In the constitution of Papua New Guinea, section 2(11) (literacy) of its preamble mentions '...all persons and governmental bodies to endeavour to achieve universal literacy in Pisin, Hiri Motu or English' as well as "tok ples" and "ita eda tano gado". In addition, section 67 (2)(c) mentions "speak and understand Pisin or Hiri Motu, or a vernacular of the country, sufficiently for normal conversational purposes" as a requirement for citizenship by nationalisation; this is again mentioned in section 68(2)(h).{{Cite journal |last=Silva |first=Diego B. |date=2019 |title= Política Linguística Na Oceania: Nas Fronteiras da Colonização e da Globalização|journal= Alfa: Revista de Linguística |volume=63 |issue=2 |pages=317–347 |doi=10.1590/1981-5794-1909-4 |doi-access=free |s2cid=204627919}} Tok Pisin, an English-based creole, is the most widely spoken, serving as the country's lingua franca. Papua New Guinean Sign Language became the fourth officially recognised language in May 2015, and is used by the deaf population throughout the country.

Languages

=English=

File:Doini Island Papua New Guinea Oceania Airport Sign.jpg.]]

English is a language of Papua New Guinea and is used by the government, courts, and the education system. In the 2011 census, 39.9% of the population was literate in English.{{Cite report |url=https://png-data.sprep.org/system/files/2011%20Census%20National%20Report.pdf |title=Papua New Guinea 2011 National Report |last=National Statistical Office |date=2015 |location=Port Moresby |page=57 |access-date=3 May 2020}}

=German=

From 1884 to 1914, the northern half of the present-day country was a German colony known as German New Guinea, in which German was the official language. Tok Pisin derives some vocabulary from German as a result of this influence. Today however, German is not a generally spoken language in Papua New Guinea.

=Unserdeutsch=

Unserdeutsch, or Rabaul Creole German, is a German-based creole language spoken mainly in East New Britain Province. The lexicon is derived from German, while the substrate language is Tok Pisin.{{Cite journal |last1=Maitz |first1=Péter |last2=Volker |first2=Craig Alan |date=2017 |title=Documenting Unserdeutsch: Reversing Colonial Amneasia |journal=Journal of Pidgin and Creole Languages |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=365–397 |doi=10.1075/jpcl.32.2.06mai}}

=Tok Pisin=

File:Lae War Cemetery TokPisin sign at front gate.jpg/Tok Pisin sign at Lae War Cemetery.]]

Tok Pisin is an English-based creole language spoken throughout Papua New Guinea. It is an official language of Papua New Guinea and the most widely used language in the country. In parts of Western, Gulf, Central, Oro and Milne Bay provinces, however, the use of Tok Pisin has a shorter history, and is less universal especially among older people.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} In the 2011 census, 68.4% of the population were literate in Tok Pisin.

=Hiri Motu=

Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a simplified version of the Motu language of the Austronesian language family. In the 2011 census, 4.7% of the population were literate in Hiri Motu.

=Papuan languages=

File:TNG map.svg

File:Tok-Pisin New-Guinea-Pidgin Pidgin-English Melanesian-Pidgin Papua-New-Guinea-Hotel-Room-Door-Sign (DSC 3096).jpg

Outside Papua New Guinea, Papuan languages that are also spoken include the languages of Indonesia, East Timor, and Solomon Islands.

Below is a full list of Papuan language families spoken in Papua New Guinea, following Palmer, et al. (2018):{{Cite book |last=Palmer |first=Bill |title=The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide |date=2018 |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |isbn=978-3-11-028642-7 |editor-last=Palmer |editor-first=Bill |series=The World of Linguistics |volume=4 |location=Berlin |pages=1–20 |chapter=Language Families of the New Guinea Area}}

=Austronesian languages=

People speaking languages belonging to the Austronesian family arrived in New Guinea approximately 3,500 years ago.{{Citation needed|date=June 2007}}

Austronesian languages spoken in Papua New Guinea include Meso-Melanesian languages (such as Nalik, spoken in New Ireland Province; Kuanua, spoken in East New Britain Province; and Nakanai spoken in West New Britain Province).

The Austronesian languages are widely spread across the globe, as far west as Malagasy in Madagascar, as far east as Rapa Nui in Easter Island, and as far as north as the Formosan languages of Taiwan. Austronesian has several primary branches, all but one of which are found exclusively on Taiwan.{{citation needed|date = September 2018}}

=Papua New Guinean Sign Language=

PNGSL is an official language of Papua New Guinea; it is based on Auslan and various home sign forms.

Literacy

In 2011, 67.6% of the population of Papua New Guinea over 10 years of age were literate.

References

=Further reading=

{{Cite book |title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World |date=2005 |publisher=SIL International |editor-last=Gordon |editor-first=Raymond G. Jr. |edition=15th |location=Dallas, Texas}}

External links

[https://pnglanguages.sil.org/resources/language_maps Language distribution maps for individual PNG provinces] (SIL International in Papua New Guinea)