Sulka is a language isolate of the Sulka people, spoken along the coast of Wide Bay on the southern side of the Gazelle Peninsula in East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, centered on the village of Guma. Estimates of speaker numbers range from about 2,500 in 1991 to as many as 3,000 to 3,500 more recently. Sulka shows ancient Papuan, non-Austronesian roots alongside influences from neighboring Oceanic languages, and Bill Palmer's 2018 classification treats it definitively as an isolate rather than folding it into the proposed East Papuan grouping.
Facts
RegionNew Britain, Papua New Guinea (eastern Pomio District, East New Britain Province) 1 Speaker Count1991 figure per the cited Wikipedia extract; the entity own description notes more recent estimates as high as 3,000 to 3,500. Proto-Language StatusLanguage isolate; no proto-language reconstructed, since no genetic relatives are established. 1 Sources
1. Wikipedia: Sulka Language
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, sentence 2: location
In 1991, there were 2,500 speakers in eastern Pomio District, East New Britain Province.
Lead section, sentence 2: speaker count
In 1991, there were 2,500 speakers in eastern Pomio District, East New Britain Province.
Lead section, sentence 1: classification
Sulka is a language isolate of New Britain, Papua New Guinea.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.