Alternate Names: Emira-Mussau, Musao, Musau-Emira, Mussau
Dialects: Eastern Mussau, Emira, Southern Mussau, Western Mussau.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 5,000 (2003 SIL), increasing. Ethnic population: 5,000 (2000 SIL). Includes 3,500 in the traditional area.
Language Use: Vigorous. Spoken by nearly all. Passed on to children in the traditional area, and some elsewhere, except in mixed marriages. Tenis ethnic group also uses Emira. Youth tend to prefer Tok Pisin [tpi] (Wurm 2007). Most domains, local administration, commerce, education in early grades, oral and some written use in church, personal letters. All ages. Positive attitudes. All but youngest use Tok Pisin [tpi]. Also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Tenis [tns].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 80%–95%. Literacy rate in L2: 80%–95% Tok Pisin and English. Schooling declined since 1999 due to poor economy, and literacy rates then declined. Vernacular preparatory schools since 1994. Poetry. Dictionary. Bible portions: 2006–2008.
Typology: SVO.
Writing System: Latin
Nation of Origin: Papua New Guinea
Other Comments: Christian.