Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 16, 2026

Bimin language

Bim or Bimin is one of the Ok languages of New Guinea. It is spoken in Sandaun and Western Provinces in the region between the Murray and Strickland Rivers. The language is related to Faiwol but there is also "much intermarriage and cultural exchange with Oksapmin".

Last revised
Jul 16, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
226 w
Citations
12
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Bimin
RegionPapua New Guinea
Native speakers
2,300 (2003)1
Language codes
ISO 639-3bhl
Glottologbimi1240
ELPBimin
Ok-Oksapmin Languages
OK-Oksapmin Languages

Bim or Bimin is one of the Ok languages of New Guinea. It is spoken in Sandaun and Western Provinces in the region between the Murray and Strickland Rivers. The language is related to Faiwol but there is also "much intermarriage and cultural exchange with Oksapmin".2

Phonology

Consonants

Consonants34
Labial Alveolar Velar
Plosive Voiceless t k
Voiced b d g
Nasal m n ŋ
Lateral l
Fricative f s
  • /k/ can be pronounced [kχ]~[χ]~[gχ]~[ɣ].4
  • /g/ is [g] in syllable onsets and [ŋ] in syllable codas.5
  • Intervocalic /b/ is "almost like" /w/ or [β].4
  • /f/ is [w] syllable initially and intervocalically and [p] syllable finally.4
  • /l/ is [l]~[ɾ] and never occurs word initially.4

Vowels

Vowels34
Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e o
Low a
  • Weber (2003) uses [ɐ] instead of [a].4
References

References

  1. Bimin at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Steer, Martin (1 September 2005). "LANGUAGES OF THE UPPER SEPIK AND CENTRAL NEW GUINEA" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  3. Weber, Thomas; Whitney, Henry (March 1999). "Bimin Phonology Essentials". SIL. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  4. Weber, Thomas (April 2003). "Bimin Organised Phonology Data". SIL. Draft. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  5. Weber, Thomas (1997). "Bimin grammar essentials". SIL. Draft. Retrieved 30 July 2024.