A-Pucikwar language
From Free net encyclopedia
A-Pucikwar (also known as Pucikwar) is a nearly extinct language of the Andaman Islands, India, spoken by the A-Pucikwar people. It is the last remaining member of the Great Andamanese family, the other languages having become extinct during the twentieth century. The Great Andamanese languages are generally presumed to be part of a slightly larger Andamanese family, but some linguists (most notably Joseph Greenberg) see closer ties with the West Papuan languages.
There are 24 remaining speakers of A-Pucikwar as of 2005, or approximately half of the remaining community of Great Andamanese people, who otherwise speak Hindi. The community is concentrated on Strait Island which lies just off the east coast of Great Andaman, where they were resettled. The Central Institute of Indian Languages is working to revive the language.
The A-Pucikwar language code is ISO/DIS 639-3:apg.
