Sociolinguistic aspects of Abu', a Papuan lanquage of the Sepik area

Abstract

The aim of this thesis is to describe sociolinguistic aspects of Abu' Arapesh, a Papuan language spoken by about 5,700 speakers who live in the central Sepik area of Papua New Guinea. It is the first of its kind on this community. In brief, chapter 1 gives a summary of the thesis, followed by a more d«tailedt description of the Abu' language area and its dialects, as seen from a linguist's point of view, in chapter 2. This and Chapter 3, which gives an oversew of the grammar and phonology of Abu', provide the general background knowledge of the nature of the language as a basis for the discussions on sociolinguistic aspects of Abu' in chapters 4 to 7. In chapter 4, the Abu' world-view is examined showing the relatively influential role it has on the determination of noun classes. This is followed in chapter 5, by a description of speaker's speech repertoire. This focusses on the pattern of verbal behaviour among different social groups. In chapter 6, non-verbal means of communication (excluding gestural communication) is treated. Chapter 7 examines language attitudes and use among the Abu'.