Salawati language

Salawati is an Austronesian language spoken on Salawati Island, in the Raja Ampat Islands in Indonesian New Guinea. There is some uncertainty as to whether the dialects comprise a single language or two separate ones (divided geographically between the west and east sides of the island).^[2]: 29

Salawati
Maden
Native to	Indonesia
Region	Bird's Head Peninsula
Native speakers	600 (2001)[1]
Language family	Austronesian Malayo-Polynesian Central–Eastern Malayo-Polynesian Eastern Malayo-Polynesian South Halmahera–West New Guinea Raja Ampat–South Halmahera Raja Ampat Nuclear Raja Ampat Ma'ya-Salawati Salawati-Batta Salawati
Dialects	Butlih Kawit Tepin Rajau Fiawat Waili
Language codes
ISO 639-3	xmx
Glottolog	made1253
Salawati Show map of Western New Guinea Salawati Show map of Maluku
Coordinates: 1°07′S 130°52′E / 1.12°S 130.87°E / -1.12; 130.87[2]

Salawati is a vulnerable-to-endangered language (6b-7 on the EGIDS scale), with younger community members having only a passive command of the language. Anecdotal reports suggest that younger speakers may be learning the language in some Tepin-dialect villages, but these reports are unconfirmed.^{[2]: 27–28}

Like its related languages of the Raja Ampat Islands, Salawati has approximately 15 consonants and 5-6 vowels and lexical tone. It is mainly head-initial in noun phrases, and primarily uses prepositions over postpositions.^{[2]: 28, 30}

Dialects

The dialects of Salawati are as follows:^[3]: 17

• Butlih (Butleh, Butlis, Banlol) used in^[4][5]
  • Salawati Tengah District (Raja Ampat): Kampung Wailen, Kampung Sakabu, Kampung Kalobo

• Kawit (Esaro, Saorof), used in^[6]
  • Salawati Tengah District (Sorong): Kampung Duriankari, Kampung Maralol
  • Salawati Tengah (Raja Ampat): Kampung Kalobo

• Tepin (Tipin, Metli), used in^[7]
  • Salawati Barat District: Kampung Solol, Kampung Kaliam,
  • Salawati Utara District: Kampung Kapatlap
  • Salawati Tengah District (Raja Ampat): Kampung Kalobo, Kampung Waijan

• Rajau (Rajao), used in^[5]
  • Salawati Utara District: Kampung Mucu (included in Samate)

• Fiawat (Fiat, Fyawat) used to be a village name now used in^[5]
  • Salawati Utara District: Kampung Mucu (included in Samate)

• Waili (Wailil, Wail, Waliam) used in^[4]
  • Salawati Tengah District (Sorong): Kampung Waliam, Kampung Sakapul

References

1. Salawati at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. Arnold, Laura (2020-07-31). "Four undocumented languages of Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia". Language Documentation and Description. 17. doi:10.25894/ldd95. ISSN 2756-1224.
3. Kamholz, David (2014). Austronesians in Papua: Diversification and change in South Halmahera–West New Guinea Archived 2021-08-17 at the Wayback Machine. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Berkeley. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8zg8b1vd
4. "Waliam". Peta Bahasa (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-05-25.
5. Arnold, Laura (2020). "Four undocumented languages of Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia". Language Documentation and Description. 17. Retrieved 2024-10-29.
6. "Esaro (Kawit)". Peta Bahasa (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-05-25.
7. "Tepin". Peta Bahasa (in Indonesian). Retrieved 2024-05-25.