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How many speakers use languages in the Trans-New Guinea family?
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Papuan languages
Map of the languages found on the Doberai Peninsula of New Guinea.
The number of speakers for the Trans-New Guinea family depends on the scope of its classification:
- Confirmed members: More than 650,000 people, representing approximately 20 percent of the total Papuan-speaking population, are confirmed to speak languages within this family.1
- Potential members: If additional language familiesāsuch as the Enga, Chimbu, Binandere, Angan, and Ok familiesāare ultimately proven to be genetically related to the group, the Trans-New Guinea family could include nearly 300 languages and approximately two million speakers, accounting for at least 50 percent of the total Papuan-speaking population.1
The Trans-New Guinea family is the largest group of Papuan languages, which are spoken across New Guinea and surrounding regions.12