Wamesa

Wamesa is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by about 5,000 people in West Papua Province of Indonesian. In particular, it is spoken in the Windesi and Sougb Jaga districts of tahe Teluk Wondama Regency, and in the Teluk Bintuni Regency in the southeast of the Bird's Head or Deberai Peninsula.

Wamesa is also known as Wandamen, Windesi, Windessi, Wendesi, Bintuni, Bentoeni or Wondama. Dialects include Windesi, Bintuni and Wandamen. It is considered an endangered language as people are passing it on to their children, who are more likely to speak Papuan Malay.

Wamesa alphabet and pronunciation

Notes

g is always followed by ng in native words.
j and l are only used in loanwords and in foreign names.
c, f, h, q, x and z are only used in foreign names.

Download an alphabet chart for Wamesa (Excel)

Information provided by Michael Peter Füstumum

Sample video in Wamesa

Information about Wamesa | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about the Wamesa language
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wamesa_language
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/wad/
https://talkingdictionary.swarthmore.edu/wamesa/about/
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ling_graduate/1/

Malayo-Polynesian languages

Alorese, Ambai, Ambel, Anuki, Balinese, Bambam, Banjarese, Batuley, Bengkulu, Biak, Bima, Bugis, Bushi, Chamorro, Duri, Fijian, Fordata, Gayo, Iban, Indonesian, Javanese, Kei, Kerinci, Komering, Lamaholot, Lampung, Ledo Kaili, Madurese, Makasarese, Malagasy, Malay, Mamasa, Mandar, Mandar, Mbula, Mentawai, Minangkabau, Mualang, Musi, Ngaju, Nias, Ogan, Palauan, Sasak, Selaru, Sumbawa, Sundanese, Toqabaqita, Toraja-Sa'dan, Ulumandaʼ, Urak Lawoi’, Wamesa, Yamdena

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page last modified: 27.03.23

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