Kiwai language

Kiwai
Native toPapua New Guinea
RegionWestern Province, Fly River delta, Torres Strait Islands
Native speakers
ca. 30,000 (2011)[1]
Kiwaian
  • Kiwai
Dialects
  • Doumori
  • Coast Kiwai
  • Southern Coast Kiwai
  • Daru Kiwai
  • Eastern Kiwai
  • Island Kiwai
  • Gibaio
  • Kope (Gope, Era River)
  • Urama
  • Arigibi (Anigibi)
Language codes
ISO 639-3Either:
kiw – Northeast Kiwai
kjd – Southern Kiwai
Glottolognort2930  Northeast
sout2949  Southern

Kiwai is a Papuan language, or languages, of southern Papua New Guinea. Dialects number 1,300 Kope, 700 Gibaio, 1,700 Urama, 700 Arigibi (together "Northeast Kiwai"), 3,800 Coast, 1,000 Daru, 4,500 Island, 400 Doumori (together "Southern Kiwai"). Wurm and Hattori (1981) classify Arigibi as a separate language.

  1. ^ Northeast Kiwai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
    Southern Kiwai at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)