1 © SIL-PNG. Geodata from worldgeodatasets.com
Used with permission.
1 Background
1.1 Language location
The Yabong [ybo], Migum [klm], Nekgini [nkg] and Neko [nej]
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languages are located in the eastern part of Madang Province.
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Map 1. Language areas in context
We visited thirteen villages in the area.
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In this report we refer to groups of villages as “mountain villages” or “coastal villages.” Mountain villages include the Yabong villages of Masi, Bidua, Gogu and
Basor; the Nekgini villages of Sorang, Reite, Asang and Serieng; and Damoing, a Neko village. The coastal villages include the Yabong village of Baded; the Migum villages of Lamtub and Singor; and
Warai, a Neko village. These village locations are indicated on map 2.
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Ethnologue Lewis 2009, ISO codes for each language are listed the first time the language is mentioned.
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This area is about 20 kilometres to the west of Saidor, a local government and Catholic mission station.
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The SIL-PNG survey team sincerely thanks everyone who helped in the planning of this survey, the survey itself and the writeup. We are particularly grateful to the Yabong, Migum, Nekginig and Neko language speakers who
welcomed us into their homes and kindly spent hours working with us, discussing their language. © SIL-PNG. Geodata from worldgeodatasets.com
Used with permission.
© SIL-PNG. Geodata from worldgeodatasets.com Used with permission.
Map 2. Villages in the Yabong, Migum, Nekgini and Neko language areas
1.2 Previous research
Two anthropologists have spent extensive time in this area. James Leach 2010 lived in Reite and has written numerous articles about various aspects of Nekgini culture. He has also written about the new
intellectual property rights laws and how they translate to the culture of Nekgini. In Reite, we were shown a published copy of his thesis that he had sent back to the village. Robert Regal lived in Serieng
for one month. We have no further information about his stay.
Some phonological information about Nekgini has been compiled by SIL linguists and mother tongue speakers Lillie n.d..
According to Barbara Hodgkinson and STEP
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participants Michael Brugei and Samson Anis, there are some school materials in the Yabong and Nekgini languages. These were completed during an
Alphabet Design Workshop in Masi village in 2006. They may be used in the vernacular preschools in the Yabong village of Masi and the Nekgini villages of Sorang and Reite.
1.3 Language name and classification
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