Pagi language

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

Pagi
Native to	Papua New Guinea
Region	Sandaun Province
Native speakers	2,100 (2003)[1]
Language family	Border Bewani Range Poal River Pagi
Dialects	Bewani (Western) Imbinis (Eastern) Bembi Eastern Pagi & Western Pagi Pagei[2]
Language codes
ISO 639-3	pgi
Glottolog	pagi1244
ELP	Pagi

Overview

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

The Imbinis dialect of Pagi is spoken in Imbinis (2.964235°S 141.380826°E / -2.964235; 141.380826 (Imbrinis)) and Imbio (2.906373°S 141.429381°E / -2.906373; 141.429381 (Imbio 1)) villages.^[3]

Neighboring languages include Ainbai and Kilmeri,^[3] also Border languages belonging to the Bewani branch.^[4]

Usage

Pagi is spoken near Bewani Station (3.023119°S 141.167741°E / -3.023119; 141.167741 (Bewani Station)), Idoli (3.025053°S 141.138885°E / -3.025053; 141.138885 (Idoli)), and Amoi (3.020995°S 141.176724°E / -3.020995; 141.176724 (Amoi)) villages in Bewani-Wutung Onei Rural LLG. Tok Pisin is generally used by the government officials and in families where husband and wife belong to communities speaking different indigenous languages. The region is also influenced by English, which is the main language used in schools of the region, accompanied occasionally by Tok Pisin.^[3][5]