Biak (Bahasa Biak in Indonesian) is spoken in Biak and Numfor and numerous small islands in this archipelago in the province of Papua, Indonesia. Alternative names are Biak-Numfor, Noefoor, Mafoor, Mefoor, Nufoor, Mafoorsch, Myfoorsch and Noefoorsch. It is spoken by about 30.000 people.

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  • Biak (Bahasa Biak in Indonesian) is spoken in Biak and Numfor and numerous small islands in this archipelago in the province of Papua, Indonesia. Alternative names are Biak-Numfor, Noefoor, Mafoor, Mefoor, Nufoor, Mafoorsch, Myfoorsch and Noefoorsch. It is spoken by about 30.000 people. Dialects: Ariom, Bo'o, Dwar, Fairi, Jenures, Korim, Mandusir, Mofu, Opif, Padoa, Penasifu, Samberi, Sampori (Mokmer), Sor, Sorendidori, Sundei, Wari, Wadibu, Sorido, Bosnik, Korido, Warsa, Wardo, Kamer, Mapia, Mios Num, Rumberpon, Monoarfu, Vogelkop. In his dissertation, van den Heuvel reports that the number of speakers of the language is shrinking: "Although the number of Biak speakers is relatively high compared to other languages in the area, the language is in serious danger of disappearing. In Biak town, the language is actively used by the generation of approximately 50 years old and older, and even this generation frequently code-switches to local Malay. The generation of approximately twenty up to fifty has passive knowledge of the language, and hardly ever uses the language actively. Younger people do not even have a passive knowledge of the language. Outside Biak town, generally the further a village is remote from town, the better is the fluency in Biak. In the village Wardo, where I did most of my research, the generation from thirty upwards was still more or less fluent, while the generation below ten only obtained a passive knowledge of the language. In villages further away from town, however, I met children who were still fluent in Biak. Virtually all Biak speakers are (also) fluent in local Malay, but only some of them have a good knowledge of the official standard language Indonesian. " .
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  • Austronesian
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  • bhw
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  • Biak
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  • about 30.000 speakers
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  • Biak (Bahasa Biak in Indonesian) is spoken in Biak and Numfor and numerous small islands in this archipelago in the province of Papua, Indonesia. Alternative names are Biak-Numfor, Noefoor, Mafoor, Mefoor, Nufoor, Mafoorsch, Myfoorsch and Noefoorsch. It is spoken by about 30.000 people.
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  • Biak language
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  • Biak
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