Yau language (Trans–New Guinea)

Not to be confused with Yao languages or Yau language (Torricelli).

Yau is on of the two major dialects of the Uruwa Language that is spoken by the Uruwa people. It is a Finisterre language of Papua New Guinea.

Yau
Uruwa
Native to	Papua New Guinea
Region	Morobe Province
Native speakers	(2,400 cited 2000)[1]
Language family	Trans–New Guinea Finisterre–Huon Finisterre Uruwa Yau
Language codes
ISO 639-3	yuw
Glottolog	yaum1237

It is spoken in Boit, Boksawin, Komdaron, Sapmanga, Sapurong, Sindamon, and Sugan villages in Morobe Province.^[1] The Southern dialects are called Nungon or Nuon, and are spoken in the Kotet, Mitmit, Mup, Towet, Worin, and Yawan villages. The dialects are fairly equally divided among the 3,000 people that live in the Uruwa River valley.^[2]

The two major dialects are about 60-65% related based on shared vocabulary and don't have great clarity in understanding one another.

External links

• Paradisec's open access collection of Selected Research Papers of Don Laycock on Languages in Papua New Guinea (DL2) includes materials on the Yau language