During my time in the Awar language group, I slept every night 15–18 October, 2013 in Sisimagum. The villages are so close together that I was able to walk to each one to visit and return at
night to sleep. I was not able to spend the night in Daiden because one of my co-workers could not enter the village due to cultural restrictions surrounding the death of a relative. Rather than make him wait
outside the village, I met with the community for a few hours and moved on to Nemnem. I also did not spend the night in Wamtac because the community was so small and close to Dogan. On 24 October I
started in Dogan, walked to Wamtac to meet with the community there and then got on a boat to go to Goingbang 2. After completing the work there I found out that if I did not get on a PMV that night to
leave the area, I would have had to stay the weekend. I got on a PMV that night and arrived in Madang on 25 October.
1.2 Previous research
The four target languages have been the focus of some outside research. One of the first descriptions of the Lower Ramu languages was done by Arthur Capell Capell 1951. He gave brief grammar sketches of
Marangis which he called Watam, Mbore Gamai, and Bosmun and Awar Bosngun-Nubia, which he considered two dialects of the same language.
John Z’Graggen included the Lower Ramu in his widespread work in Madang Province. They appear on his map as Watam, Kaian, Gamei, Awar, and Bosmun Z’Graggen 1975. Wurm and Hattori included
them under the same names in their complete map of the entire South Pacific region Wurm and Hattori, 1983.
Each of the target languages has also been visited for extended periods of time by researchers.
1.2.1 Awar
Catherine Levy is a linguist who did extensive work in the Awar language. She did a doctoral dissertation on the Awar language for the University of Brussels. It is currently being considered for publication by
Pacific Linguistics Levy 2005. Though she spent a long time in the Awar language her research does not intersect with the goals of
the survey. I have not been able to reach her to ask her opinion on topics related to the survey.
1.2.2 Kayan
Alexis von Poser is an anthropologist who worked among the Kayan. He wrote a doctoral dissertation on the Kayan worldview von Poser, A. T. 2008. The people of Kayan have at least one copy I was able to
read while visiting with them. Though it was fascinating, it did not contribute anything toward the goals of the survey. Dr. von Poser was kind enough to correspond with me after I returned from the field work;
his insights were valuable and are added as a source where relevant.
He also helped to compile a dictionary of Kayan. The only copy I have seen is in Kayan itself. This work will be helpful in the future, though the Kayan would like to make some edits.
1.2.3 Marangis
The Marangis language is probably the most fully documented of all the Lower Ramu language. Bill Foley has spent an extensive amount of time in Watam and published numerous articles and books that
include descriptions of different aspects of the language which he refers to as Watam. See Foley 1986, 2000, and 2005.
His work is thorough, but focuses on the language of the Watam people only. Because of this it offers only a little toward the goals of this survey. Dr. Foley was gracious enough to correspond with me
on various questions I had. His insights are included where relevant.
1.2.4 Bosmun
