The Susuami language is a heavily endangered Papuan language, spoken in the resettlement village of Manki (7°12′13″S 146°32′25″E / 7.203594°S 146.540389°E / -7.203594; 146.540389 (Manki)) along the upper Watut River, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea.

Susuami
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionUpper Watut valley, Morobe Province
Native speakers
10 (2000)[1]
Trans–New Guinea
Language codes
ISO 639-3ssu
Glottologsusu1251
ELPSusuami
Susuami is classified as Critically Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger
Coordinates: 7°12′13″S 146°32′25″E / 7.203594°S 146.540389°E / -7.203594; 146.540389 (Manki)

Demographics

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In 1980, it was estimated at 50 speakers, and faced competition from the several other languages spoken in the village, including distantly-related Hamtai and Angaataha, as well as the usual use of Tok Pisin with outsiders.

In 1990, there are about a dozen speakers, and children were not learning the language, including the child of the only couple in the village who were both native speakers. Its continued survival is unlikely.

References

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  1. ^ Susuami at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  • Bernard Comrie, Stephen Matthews, and Maria Polinsky. The Atlas of Languages. New York: Facts on File. Page 109.
  • Smith, Geoffrey P. 1990. Susuami: An Angan Language of the Upper Watut Valley, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea. Lae: Department of Language and Communication Studies, Papua New Guinea University of Technology.