Pagi language explained

Pagi
Date:2003
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Papuan
Fam2:Bewani Range
Fam3:Poal River
Dia1:Bewani (Western)
Dia2:Imbinis (Eastern)
Dia3:Bembi
Dia4:Eastern Pagi & Western Pagi
Dia5:Pagei[1]
Iso3:pgi
Glotto:pagi1244
Glottorefname:Pagi

Pagi, or Bembi, is a Papuan language spoken by 2,000 people in five villages in Sandaun Province and in Vanimo District of Papua New Guinea, near the border with Indonesian Papua.

Overview

The name "Bewani" attributes to the mountains that form a boundary between Vanimo and Amanab Districts.

The Imbinis dialect of Pagi is spoken in Imbinis (-2.9642°N 141.3808°W) and Imbio (-2.9064°N 141.4294°W) villages.

Neighboring languages include Ainbai and Kilmeri, also Border languages belonging to the Bewani branch.[2]

Usage

Pagi is spoken near Bewani Station (-3.0231°N 141.1677°W), Idoli (-3.0251°N 141.1389°W), and Amoi (-3.021°N 141.1767°W) villages in Bewani-Wutung Onei Rural LLG. Tok Pisin is generally used by the government officials and in families where husband and wife belong to communities speaking different indigenous languages. The region is also influenced by English, which is the main language used in schools of the region, accompanied occasionally by Tok Pisin.[3] [4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: OLAC resources in and about the Pagi language. www.language-archives.org.
  2. Book: Foley, William A. . Palmer . Bill . 2018 . The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide . The Languages of the Sepik-Ramu Basin and Environs . The World of Linguistics . 4 . Berlin . De Gruyter Mouton . 197–432 . 978-3-11-028642-7.
  3. Brown, Robert. 1981. A sociolinguistic survey of Pagi and Kilmeri. Workpapers in Papua New Guinea Languages 29. Ukarumpa: Summer Institute of Linguistics.
  4. Web site: A sociolinguistic survey of Pagi and Kilmeri. June 12, 2014. SIL International.