Discussion
Panasuan speakers have a positive attitude toward their language, and use it in the following domains: home, trade, church (announcements and sermons), school, and village government. It is spoken by all ages, although there is some pressure from Kalumpang, Seko and Indonesian (Lewis 2009:447). In UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger (Moseley 2010) Panasuan is rated at 3/Definitely Endangered, but we suggest that 4/Vulnerable more accurately reflects its status at this time.
What Others Have Written
Wurm (2007:530)
Perhaps some literacy in it. In 1988, 900 or more speakers were reported. In 1984, only 645 were reported. Under some pressure from the larger Kalumpang and Seko languages, and from Indonesian. The language is potentially endangered.
References
Lewis, M. Paul (ed.) 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the world, 16th edition. Dallas: SIL International.
Moseley, Christopher (ed.) 2010. Atlas of the world’s languages in danger, 3rd ed., entirely revised, enlarged and updated. (Memory of Peoples Series.) Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
Wurm, Stephen A. 2007. Australasia and the Pacific. Encyclopedia of the world’s endangered languages, edited by Christopher Moseley, 425–577. New York: Routledge.
