Bariai

BCH

developing

Alternate Names: “Kabana” (pej.)

Dialects: None known. Lexical similarity: 72% with Kove ,, 76% with Lusi ,.

Genealogy:

Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Oceanic
Western Oceanic
North New Guinea
Ngero-Vitiaz
Ngero
Bariai

Demographics: 1,380 (1998 SIL).

Language Use: All ages. Also use Tok Pisin [tpi]. Used as L2 by Amara [aie], Anem [anz].

Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 41% (adults). Literacy rate in L2: 83% (adults). Dictionary. NT: 2012.

Typology: SVO; prepositions, 14% of syllables are closed; morphologically less complex than most Austronesian languages.

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Papua New Guinea

Other Comments: ‘Kabana’ is acceptable to the 3 eastern villages but offensive to most of the population.