Nimboran language

Nimboran
Namblong
Native toIndonesia
RegionNew Guinea
Ethnicity3,500 (1987)
Native speakers
(2,000 cited 1987)
Language codes
ISO 639-3nir
Glottolognucl1633

Nimboran (Nambrong, Namblong, Namlong) is a Papuan language of Nimboran District, Jayapura Regency, Indonesia spoken by mostly older adults. Younger generations have shifted to Papuan Malay. It is spoken in about 26 villages to the west of Lake Sentani. Only 20% of the Namblong people speak the language.

Phonology

Consonants:
Labial Alveolar Velar
Plosive voiceless p t k
voiced b d ɡ
prenasal ᵐb ⁿd ᵑɡ
Nasal m n ŋ
Fricative s
Liquid l
Semivowel w j
Vowels:
FrontCentralBack
Close iʉu
Mid eo
Open a

References

  1. 1 2 Nimboran at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ↑ antaranews.com (2025-02-16). "Striving to preserve Papua's Namblong language". Antara News. Retrieved 2026-04-27.
  3. 1 2 Foley, William A. (2018). "The languages of Northwest New Guinea". In Palmer, Bill (ed.). The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide. The World of Linguistics. Vol. 4. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 433–568. ISBN 978-3-11-028642-7.