Sissano

SSO

developing

Alternate Names: Sinama, Sinano, Sisano

Genealogy:

Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Oceanic
Western Oceanic
North New Guinea
Schouten
Siau

Demographics: 300 (Wurm 2000). In 1990, 4,780 speakers were reported and language use was vigorous. The 1998 tsunami almost completely annihilated the population. Number of surviving speakers unlikely to exceed a few hundred (Wurm 2007).

Language Use: Seriously endangered (2000 S. Wurm).

Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 15%–25%. Literacy rate in L2: 50%–75%. Bible portions: 2011.

Typology: SVO.

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Papua New Guinea