Wedau

WED

developing

Alternate Names: Wedaun, Wedawan

Dialects: Kwamana, Lavora, Topura, Yapoa.

Genealogy:

Austronesian
Malayo-Polynesian
Central-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Eastern Malayo-Polynesian
Oceanic
Western Oceanic
Papuan Tip
Nuclear
North Papuan Mainland-D’Entrecasteaux
Are-Taupota
Taupota

Demographics: 2,200 (2000 D. Tryon). 900 monolinguals.

Language Use: Understood some in Oro Province. All domains. All ages. 80% also use English [eng]. Used as L2 by Dawawa [dww], Gapapaiwa [pwg], Ghayavi [bmk], Gweda [grw], Haigwai [hgw], Kakabai [kqf], Taupota [tpa], Tawala [tbo], Wa’ema [wag].

Language Development: Taught in primary and secondary schools. Poetry. New media. Dictionary. NT: 1927–1980.

Writing System: Latin

Nation of Origin: Papua New Guinea

Other Comments: Christian.