Saponi language should not be confused with Tutelo-Saponi language.
| Saponi | |
| States: | Indonesia |
| Region: | Western New Guinea |
| Extinct: | moribund by 2000 |
| Ref: | e18 |
| Familycolor: | Papuan |
| Family: | unclassified (lexically Lakes Plain, grammatically East Bird's Head) |
| Iso3: | spi |
| Glotto: | sapo1254 |
| Glottorefname: | Saponi |
| Pushpin Map: | Indonesia_Western New Guinea#Indonesia |
| Coordinates: | -2.5°N 139.5°W |
Saponi is an extinct Papuan language of Indonesia.
It was spoken in Botawa village of Waropen Bawah Subdistrict in Waropen Regency. Woria is also spoken in Botawa village.[1]
It shared half of its basic vocabulary with the Rasawa language, but it is not clear that they were related. Saponi shared none of its pronouns with the Lakes Plain family that Rasawa is part of; indeed its basic pronouns mamire "I, we" and ba "thou" are reminiscent of proto–East Bird's Head *meme "we" and *ba "thou".
Languages of the World
. 22nd . Eberhard . David M. . Simons . Gary F. . Fennig . Charles D. . 2019 . Dallas . SIL International.