Isirawa is a Papuan language spoken by about 1,800 to 2,000 people, per a count around 2000, on the north coast of Indonesia's Papua province in Sarmi Regency, where it continues in vigorous use as a local trade language. Its classification is disputed: Stephen Wurm connected it in 1975 to the Kwerba languages within the Trans-New Guinea family on the strength of roughly 20 percent shared vocabulary with neighboring Kwerba languages, and Mark Donohue in 2002 accepted it as a member of a broader Greater Kwerba grouping, but Malcolm Ross's 2005 pronoun analysis could not substantiate the Kwerba connection and classifies Isirawa instead as a language isolate.
Facts
RegionNorth coast of Papua province, Indonesia, Sarmi Regency 1 Speaker Count Proto-Language StatusDisputed: Wurm (1975) linked it to the Kwerba languages within Trans-New Guinea; Ross (2005) could not substantiate this on pronoun evidence and left it a language isolate; Donohue (2002) accepts a broader Greater Kwerba grouping. 1 Sources
1. Wikipedia: Isirawa Language
Wikimedia FoundationLocations section
In Sarmi Regency, Isirawa is spoken in Amsira, Arabais, Arsania, Kamenawari, Mararena, Martewar, Nisero, Nuerawar, Perkami, Siaratesa, Waim, Wari, and Webro villages.
Infobox, speakers field, 2000
1,800
Lead section
Malcolm Ross (2005) felt he could not substantiate such a link, and left it as a language isolate.
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