Yabem

JAE

threatened

Alternate Names: Jabem, Jabim, Laulabu, Yabim

Genealogy:

Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Oceanic
Western Oceanic
North New Guinea
Huon Gulf
North

Demographics: 2,080 (McElhanon 1978).

Language Use: Used as a church language by Lutherans in the Huon Peninsula region since 1890. Served as medium of instruction for 30,000 students following World War II (Streicher 1982), but now eclipsed by Tok Pisin in use as a lingua franca. Used as L2 by Bugawac [buk], Mesem [mci], Numbami [sij], Safeyoka [apz], Tami [tmy].

Language Development: Dictionary. NT: 1924–1974.

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Papua New Guinea

Other Comments: Christian.