Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Pagi language

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Native to
  
Papua New Guinea

Native speakers
  
2,100 (2003)

ISO 639-3
  
pgi

Region
  
Sandaun Province

Language family
  
Border Bewani Pagi

Dialects
  
Bewani (Western) Imbinis (Eastern) Bembi Eastern Pagi & Western Pagi Pagei

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

Contents

Etymology

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

  • Kilmeri: spoken in Kiliwis village.
  • Tok Pisin
  • Ainbai: spoken in Ainbai nad Elis villages.
  • Imbinis:dialect of Pagi, spoken in Imbinis and Imbio villages.
  • Ossima: dialect of Kilmeri, spoken around Ossima station.
  • Isi: dialect of Kilmeri, spoken in Isi village.

    • Usage

    Pagi is spoken near the Bewani Station, Idoli and Amoi villages. The Tok Pisin is generally used by the government officials and in families where husband and wife belong to communities speaking different indigenous languages. However, the region is influenced by English and is the main language used in schools of the region, accompanied occasionally by Tok Pisin.

    References

    Pagi language Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA