Kuot

The Kuot language, or Panaras, is a language isolate, the only non-Austronesian language spoken on the island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Lindström (2002: 30) estimates that there are 1,500 fluent speakers of Kuot. Perhaps due to the small speaker base, there are no significant dialects present within Kuot. It is spoken in 10 villages, including Panaras village of Sentral Niu Ailan Rural LLG in New Ireland Province. Locations Kuot is spoken in the following 10 villages. The first five villages are located on the eastern coast, and the last five on the western coast in New Ireland. Geographical coordinates are also provided for each village. Kama Bol (mixed with Nalik speakers) Fanafiliuo Liedan Kabi Naiama Panaras Naliut Nakalakalap Patlangat Bimun Combined, the two villages of Naliut and Nakalakalap are known as Neiruaran. Most of the villages are located in Sentral Niu Ailan Rural LLG, though some of the eastern villages, such as Kama and Bol, are located in Tikana Rural LLG. The Kuot variety described by Lindström (2002) is that of Bimun village.