| Abom | |
|---|---|
| Region | Papua New Guinea |
Native speakers | 3 (2018)[1] |
Trans–New Guinea
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | aob |
| Glottolog | abom1238 |
| ELP | Abom |
 Map of the Abom language in relation to otherPapuan languages. The Abom language (located bottom center, to the west of the gulf) Other Trans–New Guinea languages Other Papuan languages Austronesian languages Uninhabited | |
 Abom is classified as Critically Endangered by theUNESCOAtlas of the World's Languages in Danger | |
Abom is a nearly extinct language spoken in theWestern Province ofPapua New Guinea. According to a 2002 census, only 15 people still speak this language. All of the speakers are older adults. Middle-aged adults have some understanding of it, but no children speak or understand Abom.
Abom is spoken in the villages of Lewada (8°20′07″S142°46′50″E / 8.335225°S 142.780449°E /-8.335225; 142.780449 (Lewada)), Mutam (8°25′30″S142°55′49″E / 8.424996°S 142.930364°E /-8.424996; 142.930364 (Mutam)), and Tewara (8°22′27″S142°27′23″E / 8.374194°S 142.45638°E /-8.374194; 142.45638 (Dewala)) inGogodala Rural LLG.[1][2]
Abom is not close to other languages. Pawley and Hammarström (2018) classify Abom as a divergentTirio language on the basis of morphological evidence; Abom shares the same genderablaut pattern as otherTirio languages.[3] Evans (2018), however, lists Abom as a separate branch ofTrans-New Guinea.[4] Suter & Usher find that it is not anAnim language (the Trans–New Guinea family that includes the Tirio languages), but does appear to be divergent Trans–New Guinea.[5] Part of the problem lies in the fact that many recorded Abom words are loans from theInland Gulf languages, reducing the material needed for comparison.
Jore and Alemán (2002: 48) give pronouns for Abom as follows:[5]
| sg. | pl. | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | nɛ: | gɛ: |
| 2 | gɛ: | |
| 3 | ete | dzi |
